


In the Bleak Mid-Winter

by liesorlife



Series: FAB FIVE FEB [2]
Category: Thunderbirds, thunderbirds are go
Genre: Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22793143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liesorlife/pseuds/liesorlife
Summary: Jeff Tracy disappeared 4 months ago, none of the boys are coping well. Can they sort this out before someone gets hurt? written for Fab Five Feb. thanks for the prompt nutty! prompt word used: Hard
Series: FAB FIVE FEB [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648882
Comments: 65
Kudos: 35





	1. Everybody hurts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gumnut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gumnut/gifts).



“VIRGIL, GET UP NOW. YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL! AGAIN!” Grandma sounds furious, but Virgil no longer cares. He doesn’t want to go to school, he doesn’t even want to get out of his warm, comfortable bed. Turning to face the wall, Virgil drifts back to sleep. 

It is the middle of winter, he has a huge test he has not bothered to study for, and Johns snoring kept him awake half the night. 

He hates his brothers. Scott is so damned perfect, with his perfect hair and his perfect eyes and his perfect grades. Nothing Scott ever does goes wrong, he is the older brother, the one who has taken over everything since their dad disappeared. Disappeared, Virgil refuses to believe his father is dead. John, snores loudly, every single night and he can’t even remember what it felt like to get a decent nights sleep. Shy and socially awkward, Virgil is tired of pretending he isn’t related to who his class mates refer to as “Nerdboy”. And do not get him started on Gordon. The squid would be squat if it was up to Virgil. Irritant, thorn in his side. Yes he would gladly deny being related to him too. Alan is fine, for a baby, but he would rather eat one of Grandmas cookies than admit it. 

Living with his Grandma in the house that belonged to his parents feels wrong. This isn’t a home anymore, it is just a house he is unlucky enough to share with four strangers who call them selves his brothers and a crazy old lady who seems determined to poison them all. 

He is suddenly ripped from his cocoon by the crazy old lady who tears away his safety net and chucks a glass of what feels like icy cold water over his head. 

“I will not have this discussion with you every morning Virgil, get up, get dressed and get out of here, the bus left 5 minutes ago, Scott dropped Gordon off at the pool an hour ago and it’s a 40 minute walk so unless you want detention, MOVE!” 

*

Virgil is not going to school, he does not want the bother of having to explain why he is late in front of a room full of his judgemental peers, and John who has skipped two grades and joined him in the 9th Grade. He knows that John will tattle the minute he is home, but right now he does not care. 

He heads downtown to the music store, music has always been his escape. The one thing he always did with his mum and dad, the one thing that has never let him down. 

“Hi Virgil”, Stan the owner says to him as he opens the door and enters the warm exterior of the store. It is bitterly cold outside, cold enough for snow. Virgil hates snow. 

“Hi Stan”. Stan is Virgils only friend, the one person who gives and never asks for anything in return. He is 54 years old, and spent his whole life in this store. As far as Virgil can see, he has the perfect life. The life Virgil would love. All day surrounded by music and no family to annoy him. 

He heads upstairs to where Stan keeps the piano. Flexing his fingers he sits down at the bench, practising the hardest, darkest piece he can think of. Mozart had it so much easier than he does. His life is so hard. No one has it as hard as he does. No one. 

*

“Mrs Tracy? This is your grandsons head teacher Mrs Simpson, Virgil has not shown up for school. Is everything okay? Its just this is the third time in two weeks, and he has missed a maths test worth 25% of his grade, and he is in serious danger of failing the 9th grade and having to repeat”.

Grandma Tracy is furious, not again. “Yeah, he is home sick, he has a cold. I am really sorry, I did not realise he had a big test today. Is there anyway of allowing him to take it when he is feeling better?” Deep down, she knows that covering for her errant grandson is not going to do him any good in the long run, but she knows that he is hurting. Losing his father less than 4 months ago really took its toll on Virgil, they’re all suffering but Virgil is really struggling to cope. 

“I will see what I can do, I can’t make any promises. I know he is having a hard time at the moment, but nobody’s life is perfect and he needs to realise that the world does not revolve around him” Mrs Simpson replies. 

Sheesh, no wonder Virgil is skipping school, with a heartless woman like that running it! Grandma Tracy thinks to herself before promising to have a word with him once he has woken up from a nap. She will always be there to protect him.

Returning to the lasagne she is attempting to cook for dinner, she can’t. Sitting down at the table, she places her head in her hands and for the thousandth time since her beloved Jeff died cries. She is crying for them all. 

For Scotty, so determined to hold it together and prove to the world that he is Jeff Tracys son. For John, who is desperately trying to find a place in this world that would accept him for who he is. For Gordon, who is hiding his own pain underneath a mask of terrible jokes and even more terrible pranks. For Alan, at eight years old, too young too understand that both of his parents are dead, and that they are not coming back. 

But mostly for Virgil, tough as nails on the outside, bitter and resentful to everyone who dares to look at him in the wrong way. But on the inside is still the loving sensitive Virgil they all know and love. He has to be, this is just a phase he has to go through and get out of his system. 

Yes, life is hard, but she has to keep it together for the sake of her five beloved grandchildren, she has to keep it together. 

*

Virgil is waiting by Scotts car at 3:30, his arms folded, face set, daring Scott or John to say something as they all get into the car before driving to the elementary school to pick Gordon and Alan up. 

“I am telling Grandma you skipped school again” John tells him. 

“You skipped school? AGAIN?” Scott blows up, glaring at his younger broker in the rear view mirror “WHAT ABOUT THE TEST? ARE YOU SO DETERMINED TO FAIL THE 9TH GRADE THAT YOU WOULD DELIBERATELY SKIP AN IMPORTANT TEST? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU VIRGIL?” 

“Stop the car Scott, I want to get out” Virgil replies, dodging his questions. Being stuck in this tin can is not his idea of fun, and he is getting claustrophobic just thinking about it. 

“No, I am taking you home, and I am going to tell Grandma”. 

Scott pulls into the car park at the elementary school, where Gordon and Alan are waiting for them. Gordon looks exhausted, there are dark circles under his eyes, and he is wheezing when he breathes. But they ignore it, convincing themselves that there is nothing wrong, even Gordon, he can’t be sick, not now when they are all so concerned about Virgil. 

“You try to get out this car Virgil, and I will run you over” they both know that Scott is not joking, as he pulls up for Gordon and Alan to get in.

*

Grandma is waiting for them when they get home, Virgil tries to flee but is caught up in Grandmas surprisingly strong arms. 

“No! You are coming with me, we are going to talk”.

“I have nothing to talk about” Virgil grumbles. 

“Now, we both know that is not true. There is your attitude problem, for a start” 

Confronting the angry teenager was not a good idea, as he clams up and that protective bubble he has spent the last 4 months carefully cultivating crumbles, and he is shouting. 

“I DO NOT HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM, YOU LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW I AM FEELING, AND LETS FACE IT GRAND. MA YOU DO NOT CARE, YOU NEVER HAVE. YOU ARE ONLY HERE BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU OWE IT TO JEFF. NEWSFLASH SALLY, I DON’T NEED YOU. I DON’T NEED THEM I DON’T NEED ANYTHING!” 

Virgil tears himself away and flees to the barn, determined to hide away from the world, and not giving a damn about how cold it is out here. He doesn’t care. He really does not care. 

*

“How about sending him to brat camp?” Gordon suggests, grinning evilly. 

“Get in doors and get your homework done” Grandma tells him, ignoring the way he is holding his ribs as he walks into the house. 

*

Dinner is a tense affair, with no one talking much. Scott furious at Virgil, John silently wondering how he is going to survive another three and a half years of high school, Gordon is sick but to afraid to mention anything, he is pushing food around his plate and no one has noticed that he hasn’t eaten a single thing and Alan has no idea what to make of the changes to his family. He tries to keep everyone smiling but he can’t, the family is falling apart. As for Virgil, he has not come back in from the barn. They know he must be hungry and cold, but until he is prepared to talk there is nothing they can do about it. 

Virgil has snuck back into the house and is in his and Johns bedroom, Johns side as always is pathologically neat annoyingly clean, just like John. Once he has started, he can’t stop. Grabbing the clothes from the closet he throws them on the floor. Tearing whole pages out of his books, stamping on the model spaceship until it is in a million pieces. He doesn’t stop until everything is destroyed. Then he leaves. He is gone and he is done with his family.


	2. The Blame Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> life is about to get a whole lot worse for the struggling Tracy family.

John does not discover the destruction until he is going to bed. The room looks like it has been destroyed by a tornado, the space station he and his father spent hours putting together is in a million pieces, just like his heart and he knows who is to blame. 

John races into Gordon and Alans room, where they are both fast asleep, grabs his younger brother by the hair and yanks him roughly out of bed onto his feet before he starts to punch him repeatedly in the ribs. Bewildered Gordon has no idea what is going on, or how to make it stop. 

Scott pulls him off him. “What is going on in here?” he asks. 

“Ask… Him…” John pants, still fighting Scott to get back to Gordon. 

“I-I-I Do-do-don’t know” Gordon cries stammering. 

“John?” Scott questions. 

Without another word, John marches back out the room and leads Scott and Grandma, who has joined them, to his room. Scott gasps in horror, why would Gordon do something like this? It is not his style. 

“I didn’t d-d-do this”, Gordon wails, “I wouldn’t”. 

“Yeah right Gordon, after every vicious prank you have played do you really expect anyone to believe you?” John replies. 

Gordon nods, he is not dishonest, despite everything and every practical joke he has ever pulled he always takes the credit for it. 

“Well tough” John tells him bitterly, “I want this place cleaned up then I want you sent to juvie”. 

“Gordon, I want you to get this messed cleaned up, then back to bed, we will discuss your punishment in the morning”. Grandma tells him, she clearly doesn’t believe him, and she has bought him cleaning supplies.

“John, go and sleep on the sofa while your brother cleans this mess up” Grandma advises him 

“Fine, but that animal is not my brother!” John replies. Leaving Gordon alone in the room. 

Innocent, and terrified that no one will ever believe him, Gordon does as he is told, having to stop frequently to take breaks because he is struggling to breathe again. It is nearly 4 in the morning when he is finished, knowing he has to be up at 6 for swimming training horrifies him. How much longer can he keep pretending that he is okay? 

*

Virgil returns to find the house quiet and subdued, even though it should be a crazed chaotic frenzy as his brothers fight over the last bagel and panic about missing clothes an unfinished homework. He knows he has to go in and face the music. 

“Virgil, where were you last night? Gordon trashed our room”. John tells him the second he walks through the door.

“Slept in the barn last night. Hang on? Gordon did what?!” Virgil can’t believe they think Gordon did this, but there is no way he is taking the blame when he can blame it on a ten year old too stupid to figure out the truth. “Bloody hell! Where is he now?” 

“God knows, think Scott took him to swimming training but I honestly don’t care” John replies. “You are going to miss the bus again, and Grandma is mad enough to make you sleep in the barn permanently. That little animal ought to be made to sleep out there!” 

Virgil has never seen John this angry, he is usually the cool implacable one. He buries that tiny slither of guilt he is feeling and heads to take a shower. He does not realise that the space station was their dad and Johns final project before the accident, he would never have destroyed it if he had, but as long as Gordon takes the rap for it he doesn’t really care. 

*

School is torture for Gordon, his head hurts, his ribs ache, his legs feel like they have been cut off. he falls asleep during English class and ends up in detention. He didn’t think things could get any worse, now he has to explain all day Saturday detention to his grandma, who is already mad at him.

The end of the school day can’t come soon enough, as he is finally free. Meeting up with Alan they both head to the car park to wait for Scott. 

“Alan, get in. Gordon, you are walking home!” John shouts out the open window. 

“Get in the car Gordon” Scott tells him, rolling his eyes at John as his two youngest climb in the back, Gordon silently thanking Scott for sticking up for him, as he knows he would never make it home. 

Grandma is waiting for them when they get home, still convinced that Gordon is guilty. There is no other person in the house that would do this. It has to be him.

“Gordon, living room now” She snaps at him as soon as he is out the car. He follows her in, sitting down on the sofa, subconsciously grabbing his now excruciatingly painful ribcage. He is nervous and pale he wants to tell her that everything hurts that he needs her help, but he can’t. She won’t listen. She doesn’t love him enough to care, surely if she or even his brothers still loved him they would realise that he couldn’t have done this, and that they would notice he was sick. 

“I have been thinking about this all day, and despite Johns objections I am not selling you into slavery or chaining you up in the barn. However, you are grounded until further notice, apart from school you do not leave your room and I am removing your tv. Any questions?”

Would you believe me if I said I didn’t do this? He thinks, but he knows there is no point asking.

“Can I go out on Saturday morning?” He asks, hoping that he can sneak off to the detention and no one needs to find out, he has been forging her signature for years so does not need to give her the detention notification to get signed. 

“What part of no leaving your room do you not understand?” she replies sarcastically. 

“But I have plans I have to keep, if I don’t, I will get into even more trouble” Gordon tells her. 

“No, not even if it is life or death. You do not leave your room” Grandma is trying to remain patient, to talk to him without getting angry, but he is making it hard. 

Gordon sensing defeat caves. “I have to go out, I have detention, I don’t go and I will probably get suspended, then I will have to stay home all the time, just think how much trouble I will get into if am here with you all day”

“Detention? What did you do this time? Don’t tell me, glitter bombed the principles car again?” Grandma asks him incensed that he would get into even more trouble. He has spent more time in detention than his brothers combined. 

“No!” Gordon is outraged, he never pulls the same prank twice! “it wasn’t my fault” he whines.

“It never is, hand over the detention slip, then get upstairs, I want your homework done then you are in bed with no supper.” 

Gordon throws it at her, before grabbing his bag and heading to the door. His brothers hastily leaping out the way from the hallway where the four of them had been spying. 

“Don’t you dare throw things at me Gordon Tracy or I might just change my mind about making you sleep in the barn!” Grandma tells his retreating back 

John is not impressed, he wanted to see his brother squirming like a worm on a hook, instead he sat there defiant to the end and he still refuses to apologise. 

Virgil can not believe he has gotten away with it.

*

Gordon doesn’t bother with his homework, none of it is interesting, and he is completely exhausted. Pulling off his hoodie, he can see the bruising developing on his ribs from where John hit him, and he knows not to bother complaining no one will care.

His stomach hurts from the lack of food. Realising it has been nearly 48 hours since he last ate something, but he no longer cares. The sick, empty feeling in the pit of his stomach is almost comforting to him now. 

Pulling on his pyjamas he collapses onto the bed and is fast asleep before his head hits the pillow.

He doesn’t wake up when Alan comes up to bed, and turns the light on. Grandma puts her youngest grandson too bed without even looking over at Gordon, Who is an unmoving lump lying on top of the duvet and she just assumes is either sleeping, sulking or both. 

*

Virgil has snuck out again, he told John he spent the night in the barn but it is not true, he has a secret. A secret that no one can find out about. There is somewhere he has to go, to visit the only person who loves him unconditionally. 

It has started to snow, as he reaches the graveyard. 

“Mom? I miss you more every day, yesterday I did something terrible to John and to Gordon, and I keep telling myself that I don’t care, that I would rather let Gordon take the blame, but I cant keep this up. Everything changed when dad disappeared, it has been four months and not a sign that he is going to be found, the GDF are useless, they aren’t even looking anymore. I can’t do this without you” the tears are frozen to Virgils dark eye lashes, unable to break free. 

He stays there for an hour, the sky becoming lighter as the snow gets heavier, he is freezing but he can feel the wall building its way around his heart again, as he gets up and walks home, stumbling in the snow. He lets himself back into the house, it is nearly 2 o’clock as he finally crawls into bed. Johns snoring is rattling the windows but for once he tries not to let it bother him. 

*

Gordon sleeps through his alarm, and does not react to Scott yelling at him to get up or he will be late for training. So he leaves without him, heading for his morning study session in the library, the one he does five mornings a week, this is Scotts attempt to escape. Virgil has his art, Gordon has his pool, Scott and John have books and studying, Alan has his innocence and no need to hide away from the world. 

But Gordon doesn’t wake up, even when threatened with further punishment, his eyelids don’t even flutter. 

“John go and get him out of bed and tell him that unless he is up and dressed in the next five minutes he will be walking to school and back home again!” Grandma has really had enough of Gordon’s antics, the kid has always been trouble but this is ridiculous. 

John Walks into Gordon and Alan’s room standing in the doorway shouting at him isn’t working, so he tries a more direct approach. Storming over to the bed, he grabs Gordon roughly by the shoulder and rolls him onto his back. John instantly realises something is very wrong, his little brother is barely breathing.


	3. It’s okay not to be okay

“Gordon?” John questions his brothers lifeless form. “Come on Gords Jokes over, it’s time to get up” 

Nothing. 

“GRANDMA! HELP!” John cries desperately. 

Grandma can hear John calling her name, she was expecting a row but he sounds terrified. Racing upstairs followed by Virgil and Alan she soon finds out why. John is standing over Gordon, shaking him trying desperately to get him to wake up; he is stirring, slowly coming back to life.  
  
“John, call an ambulance. Virgil, take Alan down stairs.” Grandma barks orders, quickly taking over and asserting her authority on the situation. All three boys are happy to let her, as they flee the room.

“h-h-hurts” is all she can get out of him, he is violently shivering, despite an obvious fever, his teeth are rattling as he struggles to talk.  
  
“Where does it hurt Gords?” she is trying to keep him awake until the paramedics arrive. He fixes his big brown eyes on hers and shakes his head, he can’t tell her. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he doesn’t know. How can he put into words that everything hurts? Even his hair hurts.  
  
Grandma lies down on the bed next to him and wraps him up in her arms for a cuddle while they wait for help to arrive.  
  
*

“Virgy fix him!” Alan pleads biting his lip. His eyes are filled with tears, this is all his fault. He knew Gordon was sick but he didn’t tell anyone. He should have said something sooner.  
  
“Sorry Allie, but that is not something I can do”  
  
Alan looks so lost. “I thought big brothers could fix anything! I can’t lose him too. Mom and dad have already abandoned me, I need him. He is my favourite after Grandma” Alan starts to cry.

Virgil’s heart breaks all over again, he has only been thinking about himself the whole time, how he misses his parents. His brothers have been nothing more than an inconvenience. Now he would give anything to have Gordon pull a prank on him, he would even let him change his toothpaste for superglue again if it meant he was okay.  
  
“They didn’t abandon you, they would never have left us if they didn’t have too. But you still have me, I am not going anywhere” Virgils voice is so strong and self-assured, even though, he too is scared about what is happening upstairs. “Come on, grab your coat and we will go outside and wait with John”.  
  
John is standing waiting, it has started to snow again and his ginger hair is slowly turning white, but he hasn’t even bothered putting a jacket on, and he doesn’t bother brushing the snow off his head. He can’t think, he can’t function normally, he can only think that this mess is all his fault. He hit him and now he isn’t breathing. He barely notices as Virgil and Alan join him, equally silent.  
  
Until the ambulance arrives, then they all spring back into action, John leading them inside, Alan trailing behind begging them to fix his big brother, he favourite big brother.

They can do nothing but watch as Gordon and Grandma are taken away.  
  
*  
  
Grandma calls Scott’s school once they have got to the hospital, and Gordon has been taken away for tests, to advise that John and Virgil won’t be coming in, and that she needs Scott to come home. Mrs Simpson is not happy. 

“I don’t think so, there is not an excuse that I will accept for Scott leaving the building before 3:30. His education is more important than your latest family crisis, and while we are on the subject unless John and Virgil are here within the hour they will both receive detention. Your unruly grandchildren have disrupted my school for long enough. I noticed Virgil made a miraculous recovery yesterday, I am going to ask the school board to fail him on that exam as he clearly was not ill”. 

Absolutely furious now, grandma explodes in a way that would have even made Virgil cower. 

“DON’T YOU DARE CRITICISE THOSE BOYS, THEY HAVE LOST THEIR MOTHER, THEY HAVE LOST THEIR FATHER AND NOW COULD LOSE THEIR YOUNGER BROTHER. YOU WILL GET ME SCOTT AND YOU WILL GET ME SCOTT WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES OR I WILL PULL ALL THREE OF THEM OUT OF THAT POOR EXCUSE FOR A SCHOOL AND FIND ONE THAT APPRECIATES THAT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR LEAGUE TABLE POSITION!” 

Her hackles are raised. No her grandsons are not perfect, but they have been through absolute hell the last few months and they need help, not that. 

Mrs Simpson is shocked, but at least now she knows where Virgil gets his temper from. 

“Fine. Please hold I will get him for you”. She replies, she is not going to rise to the bait and shout back. 

Picking up her tannoy she announces over the loud speaker system:

“Scott Tracy? Your grandmother is on the phone, can you please come to reception?” She doesn’t bother going back to the line to let Grandma know she has done it. 

Scott groans, wondering what chaos his brothers have caused this time. He was enjoying this physics class, even though they were covering something he taught himself years ago, and there are things the teacher is telling the class that Scott knows is wrong, it was nice to be in a place where he felt comfortable.  
  
“May I be excused?” He asks the teacher, who nods.  
  
“Of course, take your things with you in case you need to leave.” She replies.

“Grandma? What’s wrong?” he asks.  
  
“Gordons in the hospital, I need you to go home and pick your brothers up then join us. I will explain everything when you get here”.  
  
Scott hangs the phone without questioning her and legs it without stopping to think.  
  
He drives carefully home, making sure he is well below the speed limit, the last thing he needs right now would be a ticket. His three brothers are all standing there in the snow waiting for him. Virgil and John don’t even have their usual battle over the front seat, they just jump in the nearest door.  
  
“What happened?” Scott asks.

“We don’t know, but I couldn’t get him to wake up this morning. He is really sick Scott. We have all heard him coughing his lungs up, why have we been ignoring it?” John answers, feeling sick to his stomach with guilt.  
  
Scott doesn’t have an answer, and the car falls uncomfortably silent as they all battle their own inner demons and feelings of guilt.  
  
There is a feeling of relief in the car as Scott finally gets to the hospital, and they walk into the accident and emergency department.  
  
“We are looking for Gordon Tracy” Scott tells the receptionist.

“Have a seat, someone will come and get you shortly” She tells them.

Virgil and John both sit down, Alan climbs into Virgil’s lap and refuses to move. Scott is pacing the waiting room anxiously. 

“Alan, why is gordon your favourite?” Virgil asks him, partly out of curiosity and partly to keep his younger brother distracted. 

“He likes me” Alan relies simply, shrugging. 

“We all like you” Virgil reassures him. 

“Why are you so horrid to me then?” He asks “you used to play with me, and look after me, now you look at me like you don’t even know my name anymore. Gordon plays with me, he always makes sure I am safe when we are at school and he dealt with the jerks who were picking on me because I forgot that my dad was never coming back and I volunteered him for career day. You always shout at me and tell me to go away if I even look at you, and John is always so busy he doesn’t even know I am alive anymore. And sometimes it just feels like I am pretending to be alive”

“Alan we all love you, more than you will ever know, but you’re right, we haven’t been looking out for you like big brothers should but you know what, all that is going to change. Right now. Right Scott? Right John?” Virgil says, he can’t believe that even Alan was feeling exactly the same way he has been feeling. 

They all know that Alan is right they have shamefully neglected their younger siblings and now they’re reaping the rewards of that. Gordon in lying in a hospital bed and Alan thinks they all hate him. 

Where did it all go so wrong? Virgil thinks as he wraps his arms tighter around his youngest brother, more determined than ever to fix this. 

*

It feels like they have been there for days when grandma finally comes to get them but it has been less than an hour. They look up expectantly, she doesn’t look positive. 

“Your brother has pneumonia”, she tells them “he’s going to be kept here for a few days while they treat it” 

“Can we see him?” Scott asks. 

“No, he’s resting and needs to be kept isolated. Scott I need you to take care of your brothers for me, take them home, via Macdonald’s, and I will call you later. I know it’s only 1 o’clock but don’t worry about school, just go home and be together” 

She doesn’t tell them the whole truth, they don’t need to know that he is in a coma in intensive care fighting for his life. They have been through enough.


	4. Guilty consciences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon is seriously ill in hospital fighting for his life, he needs his brothers more than ever. Will they learn to put aside their differences and be there for him?

They sit around all day and into the night thinking. Virgil is googling pneumonia and does not like what he is reading. He feels truly terrible about what he has done, but he has no idea how to own up without making everything worse. 

It is pitch black outside, and the temperature has dipped to minus 6. Scott has tried to make the living room as warm and comfortable as possible, a fire is roaring in the fire place, and there is large bag of open marshmallows next to it. They have all bought their mattresses and blankets down from upstairs and are going to have a camp out in the living room while they wait for news. 

They used to do this all the time when their dad was still around, the six of them would make a camp in the living room, switch off the electric and pretend they were camping. But tonight they can’t think of anything other than Gordon and wondering if hearing nothing is good news or not. 

Virgil can’t do it anymore, he finally feels brave enough to tell the truth and accept the consequences, because if there was any justice in this world it would be him lying in that hospital bed 30 miles away and not home with his family. 

“Scott, John, Alan, there is something I have got to tell you. Two nights ago I did something I bitterly regret, and I let John blame Gordon. If I hadn’t maybe he wouldn’t have got so sick, he would have been asleep resting and recovering instead he was forced to stay up all night cleaning up a mess he didn’t make. He is seriously ill because of me and I want to be there for him right now, but I don’t even think I can face him” Virgil’s voice trails off in shame. 

He is met by a cold stony silence. Three pairs of eyes are boring into his soul, and they all look equally disgusted. 

“How could you?!” John asks quietly, “he’s ten years old Virgil, I thought he deliberately destroyed my space station out of malice and jealousy. I was so angry I hit him and told him that I didn’t consider him my brother anymore. I hurt him because of you. Why Virgil? Why would you do something so heartless and cruel? I can replace what you destroyed apart from the one thing that truly matters.” 

“I can’t replace Gordon.” 

It isn’t Virgil who answers him, it is Scott and he is now even more horrified than before. 5 months ago his brothers couldn’t even sneak a biscuit from the jar without him knowing about it. Now he feels like he doesn’t know any of them and it terrifies him. 

“You hit him?” Scott can’t get his head around any of this, John is never violent. 

“I’m sorry Scott, I just got so angry when I saw what had happened. I never even gave him the chance to explain, if anyone is to blame for this it is me, not Virgil” 

“I knew it couldn’t have been Gordon, my basic gut instinct was telling me too believe him, but I was too wrapped up in my own problems to care about him. This morning I didn’t even check on him, when he didn’t get up. I just shouted at him from the doorway and assumed he was sulking when I didn’t get a reply. I should have checked on him I could have got him help sooner” Scott tells them unloading his own guilty conscience onto his brothers. 

“Are you going to tell grandma what we have done?” John asks, he almost sounds hopeful, almost as if he wants her to find out and punish him. 

“No I am not” Scott replies. 

“Oh. Why not?” John asks. 

“Simple, you are. Both of you are going to tell her everything, and you’re both going to be dealing with the consequences and you’ll do it without complaining. Personally if it was up to me Virgil you would be made to clean Gordon and Alan’s room as I think that is a punishment that fits the crime! As for you John, I have no idea, possibly cancel your space camp this summer and make you stay home, but it’s up to grandma, she is in charge.” Scott tells them. 

“Clean Gordon and Alan’s room?! Are you joking Scott? Have you been in there recently, I haven’t had my booster injections!” Virgil actually grins at him, because Scott has just delivered the perfect punishment idea and he hopes that whatever grandma decides it isn’t that! 

Even Scott manages a small smile “not joking Virgil!” 

“what’s wrong with my room?!” Alan asks confused, “it is perfectly safe to navigate if you stick to the designated pathways! But if you get bitten by something it is your own fault for disturbing it!” 

*

Gordon is not responding to treatment, the doctors did warn her that he had a severe case of the disease and that the next 48 hours would be critical, but watching it play out before her eyes is breaking her heart. He hasn’t regained consciousness and they are feeding the antibiotics directly into his system, but nothing appears to be getting better. 

A nurse who’s name she hasn’t bothered learning vaguely suggested she go home, as there is nothing she can do for him here, but she talked her down. She isn’t leaving her grandsons side until she knows he is going to be okay. 

“I should have checked on him last night when I put Alan to bed” she thinks, “I might have been able to prevent this” just like Scott, Virgil, John and Alan, she is blaming her self. She shouldn’t have been so hard on him. 

“Mrs Tracy?” Looking up, there is another nurse standing there. She doesn’t recognise this one either. 

“Would you like a coffee?” She asks, her face full of sympathy. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night”

“That would be lovely, thank you dear” she replies smiling slightly at the thought that there is someone out there who still cares. 

They sit together silently sipping coffee, it is just after 1 in the morning and she hopes the others are asleep, but she highly doubts they will be. She knows that no one will be getting much sleep tonight. 

*

Virgil waits until he thinks everyone is asleep before slipping quietly out the front door. But tonight he hasn’t been successful. Tonight Scott is going to find out just where Virgil keeps disappearing too. 

As stealthily as possible he follows him, of all the places he thought he would end up, the grave yard is the last place he could have thought of. 

“Mom? I really screwed up this time. But if you are there and you’re listening can you please send Gordon back to us? We need him. This family is falling apart and I can’t stop it. I really hurt him this time and I don’t know what to do.”

This is the only place in the world where Virgil allows himself to cry and he can’t stem the flood of tears streaming down his face, but somehow he isn’t shocked when he finds himself being pulled up from the ground and into Scott’s arms. All the grief and tension and hurt that he has been feeling for the last four months is finally being unleashed onto his big brothers shoulder. 

Together they stand there with Scott comforting his younger brother the only way he knows how, by physically being there for him. He should have been there for them all. All this time all 4 of his brothers have been suffering the exact same grief that he has and he had no idea. He should have known that they would have understood. 

They don’t even need to speak to each other to know that once Virgil has no more tears left in him to walk home, together as brothers. 

“How long have you been coming out here?” Scott asks 

“Ever since dad disappeared, mom was the only one I felt like I was able to talk too. Everyone else was so sad or angry or both. Alan was crying all the time, John wouldn’t speak to anymore, you were so angry and Gordon was just Gordon, trying to keep everyone smiling but most of the time made things worse. Grandma did nothing but bake cookies. I didn’t know who to turn too. I started skipping school to go to the music store in town, and I knew that everyone knew but no one seemed to want to talk to me, so I got angrier and angrier and took it out on everyone around me. Scott I’m sorry. For everything. And you know what, even if Grandma doesn’t punish me, I might just clean Gordon and Alan’s room anyway. You were right, it is the perfect punishment!” 

When they get back to the house it is still silent, apart from Johns snoring, but for once it doesn’t bother Virgil. It is just a part of what makes his brother so unique. 

Both him and Scott get the best nights sleep they have had in four months.


	5. Never lose hope

The boys may have managed to get some sleep but grandma hasn’t. Cherishing the few moments she is allowed to visit Gordon every hour, she can’t rest until she knows he is going to be okay. 

The doctors have inserted a tube into his chest to drain the fluid from his lungs, and have advised that if this doesn’t work then they will have to try surgery. And that they can not guarantee at this stage whether or not he will recover. 

She knows she needs to speak to his brothers, to explain that Gordon may never get better, but they have already lost so much that it is impossible. But she has too, they need to be here with him, encouraging him to keep fighting, and she needs them by her side 

Checking her watch she realises that has been 24 hours since she first heard Johns desperate cries for help and it has been the longest 24 hours of her life. 

Getting up, she heads out to the waiting room to make some calls. First to Scott, then to their schools to let them know that none of them will be in today. 

“Grandma? How’s Gordon?” Virgil answers anxiously when he grabs Scott’s phone from the side, promising his eldest brother that he will keep an eye on it while he takes a shower. 

“I need you boys here, we need to talk” she replies, not answering his question

“We will be there in an hour” Virgil responds hanging up the phone 

“GUYS!” He calls “that was grandma, we need to get the hospital. NOW” 

“Did she say anything at all?” John asks nervously. 

“No, just that we need to be there” He replies

None of them speak as they climb into Scott’s car and make the journey to Kansas City general. 

*

Luckily for Mrs Simpson she isn’t around to take the call and a message is left with her far more sympathetic secretary. 

Gordon and Alan’s head teacher is just as sympathetic. And can’t believe that they’re going through this horror so soon after losing their father. Asking grandma to keep them updated but not to worry about a thing, the school will still be there for when they’re both ready to come back. 

“You know what” grandma tells him “that will probably not make them feel better!” 

They both laugh, because if they didn’t they would cry. 

*

Gordon’s temperature spikes back up to 104, causing the doctors to take him away for even more tests as the antibiotics clearly aren’t working, and they announce that surgery is his only option now. Everything else has failed. 

He still isn’t back when his brothers arrive and the five of them are taken nto a small room. She hasn’t seen them his united since before their father disappeared and she desperately wishes that the reason wasn’t so tragic. 

“Please tell us the truth, what are his chances?” Scott asks. There is a hint of desperation in his voice. 

Doctor Forrester takes a deep breath, this is always the worst part of his job. 

“You have got to understand that this is not a simple illness with a straight forward cure, and your brother is very sick. His body is exhausted from fighting the infection, which is one of the reasons why he is struggling to regain consciousness. If the operation is successful I would rate his chances at about 65% if not then I believe you will have to start preparing for the worst.” 

“How long will the operation last?” Virgil asks to break the silence more than him needing an answer 

“Around 2 hours, they should be done soon, then he is going to need all of you to keep praying for him, to convince him that he has to keep fighting, become his 5 person cheer squad. Now I have other patients too see, but if you need me just ask one of the nurses and they will come and find me, and please feel free to stay here, you don’t need to go back into the waiting room.” 

“What are we going to do for 2 hours?” Scott asks impatient as ever. 

“Eat popcorn and do our nails” Virgil replies with a straight face 

“That’s a Gordon comment!” Alan tells him giggling. 

And with that the tension in the room evaporates. And they’re all talking freely, about what they are going to do to make it up to their brother when he is better, because he is going to get better, they just know he can fight this. 

John decides now is the time to tell Grandma everything, Virgil joins in too telling her that it was him and not Gordon who wrecked their room and that they are both ready and willing to accept whatever punishment she has in mind for them as they both truly deserve it. 

Grandma is disgusted with both of them, but getting angry right now will not help Gordon, the last thing he needs right now is more fighting. 

“Both your parents would be so disappointed with you right now, they bought you up better than this, you let me punish your brother when you knew he was innocent Virgil, and you!” She turns round to face John who backs his chair away into the corner, “How could you use physical force on someone two years younger than you? It doesn’t matter how angry you get you don’t hurt anyone. Especially not a child”. Her facade of remaining calm and rational is showing signs of slipping fast, but she looks into their faces and realises how desperately sorry they both are, that they have made these confessions because they both believe that they deserve to be punished. And punished they both will be, she thinks. 

But for now, she opens her arms for them all, and all five of them stand in the room together in a group hug, united once more as a family as they attempt to stay strong for their Gordo. 

*

Gordon is out of surgery and placed in an induced coma. They all know that the next 48 hours are going to be crucial, and he is monitored around the clock to ensure the fluid does not start to build up again. He is still being fed a steady diet of antibiotics to try to keep any infection at bay. 

There is a hotel next door to the hospital and they all check in so they can be as near to him as possible.

“Right you lot, listen to big brother Scott!” Scott tells them trying to assert some authority over his siblings. “I have spoken to Grandma and she agrees with me that I am in charge while she is at the hospital so here are Scott’s rules!”

Rule one: room service is not there to be abused. Breakfast and dinner will be decided upon as a family and ordered  
Rule two: you break anything you buy it!  
Rule three: the video games in the lobby are off limits unless you have money  
Rule four: Scott will be obeyed at all times. No exceptions to this rule.  
Rule five: bed time is 9pm  
Rule six: do not get anything from the mini bar  
Rule seven: this list can be added to at any time should Scott feel the need to update it. 

Are we clear?” Scott asks them 

They all nod trying not to laugh at him. 

“Good. Right for now I am going home to collect some bits. Spare clothes, toothpaste, toothbrushes and anything else we might need. While I am gone I am asking you to behave. Grandma really doesn’t need any of our drama right now, there will be plenty of time for that when we are all at home helping her look after Gordon, because let’s face it he is going to be a nightmare patient!” Scott tells them. 

They all agree to behave; and they for once all mean it, they have no intentions of causing anymore misery just now. 

“Scotty?” Alan asks “can you bring me my bear you know I can’t sleep without it? Especially in a strange place” 

Scott nods, “of course, does anyone else want anything?” 

Half an hour later armed with a list covering 3 sides of A4 paper Scott regrets asking! But he promises to try to find everything they asked for. 

*

The three of them head back to the hospital, to check on Gordon. 

“Anything new? Virgil asks sitting down next to Grandma. 

“No. Nothing, it’s too early to tell if the operation has worked yet”. 

They sit there in silence, Virgil has his head rested on her shoulder, when the alarms start to sound. 

Doctor Forrester rushes in straight away. Turning to face his family. 

“His right lung just collapsed again” he tells them as he is rushed back out into the operating theatre. 

“Oh Gordon” grandma sighs, it is a tearful desperate sigh. Silently she is praying to his mother and father; her son and daughter in law to look after him for her as she is starting to lose hope that he can ever fight his way back to them.


	6. Keep fighting Gordon, we can’t do this without you

They all know that another sleepless night is ahead of them, Gordon’s collapsed lung was caused by a build up of fluid in between his lung and ribcage, Doctor Forrester is hopeful that the second operation has been successful but now it is up to Gordon to keep fighting. 

“Why didn’t you call me to let me know he was in danger again?” Scott asks on his return, his eyes are dark with worry. 

“Because we needed you to get back safely, and did not want you to panic and do something stupid we needed you back here in one piece and not in the bed next door” Virgil tells him seriously. 

He gets it, he doesn’t like it, but he gets it. 

“So what happened?”

“Collapsed lung” Virgil replies 

“Yeah but the fluid build up was outside this time Scott and not in the ravioli in his lungs. This was something different. The doctor said so” Alan pipes up. 

“Ravioli?” Scott can’t stop a laugh escaping, “no wonder he’s so ill if he’s got ravioli in his lungs!”

“He means the alveoli Scott” Virgil informs him. 

“I know. Unlike you I went to biology class!” Scott replies grinning. 

Virgil knows he deserved that! But he is going to turn his grades around and study. There is no way he is repeating the 9th grade and have his younger brother graduate before him. He will even put up with the vile Mrs Simpson if it gets him an education. Virgil now knows what he wants to do with his life. He is going to save people. 

*

Gordon is slowly starting to make progress, he is still not able to breathe on his own, but there are clear signs that his lungs are getting stronger. The antibiotics are keeping any signs of infection from coming back. He is still in intensive care, but there is now hope in the doctors faces when they check in on him. 

“He’s coming back to us isn’t he Grandma?” John asks. 

“I think he may be” she replies trying not to get her hopes up, as she knows there is still a long road ahead of them. 

*

Another 24 hours creeps by, Scott doesn’t even know what day it is anymore. This has been the longest week of his life and he would do anything to be able to go back in time and fix this, to get Gordon to the doctor before he got so sick to stop his brothers from falling apart. The only thing he knows for sure that he can do is to make sure this doesn’t happen again. His brothers are his whole world and he is going to start acting like the big brother his dad would be proud of. 

*

They are back at the hotel for the evening, grandma still insisting that they try and get some rest and that she and Gordon will be fine without them. 

Their suite has two small bedrooms untastefully decorated with pink flowery wall paper that would have been very popular in the 2040s! With two single beds, separated by a small cabinet, a bathroom and an even smaller living area with pull out sofa. Which Alan is insisting on sleeping on as the wall paper is giving him nightmares. 

“Scott can we go and get dinner from Burger King? The food here is disgusting and I want a proper meal” Alan asks 

“How is Burger King a proper meal? It’s junk food Allie!” Scott tells him. “How about we go to that nice looking Italian restaurant down the street?”

“I don’t like Italian food” Alan whines 

“Do you like pizza” John asks him amused 

“Yes” Alan replies 

“Lasagne?” Virgil adds 

“Yes, just not when it is cooked by grandma!”

“Well they are both Italian Alan!” They inform him 

“Oh. Okay then” he tells them shrugging “lets go!”

*

Dinner is a strange experience, it is the first time the four of them have been in a proper restaurant without any adults, and it almost didn’t happen. 

“Table for four please”. Scott asks the waiter when they walk in. The place is almost empty as the evening rush hour is almost over. 

“Yeah right kid, where are your parents? You think I am going to let a bunch of children into my restaurant? Do you even know how much a meal in here costs? And that little one is he even toilet trained yet? He’s what 5?” 

A week ago Virgil would have punched him in the face and probably gotten himself arrested for assault, and even though he is angry he remains tight lipped. 

Scott gets out his Tracy industries gold status credit card and driving license to prove who he is. 

“You’re a Tracy? Why didn’t you say so?” The man replies, his tone now with a hint of desperation “table for four and don’t worry about the bill if you come with me I will get you a seat in our VIP area away from the public” he spits that last word out, as if he is talking about sewer rats and not human beings. “Let you in on a little secret lads, out prices are so high so that our high profile clientele don’t have to pay, let the general population worry about that, that’s not your concern”. 

All four brothers stand there in horror. Before Scott finds his voice again. With as much contempt as possible in it. 

“Erm you know what, I don’t think we will bother, we don’t enter establishments that place such high value on the amount someone has in their bank account. We were bought up better than that! And as for your attitude towards Allie here, I want you to know that we won’t be accepting any apologies you might have to offer. That was both rude and unnecessary and no one picks on our baby brother apart from us! You will however get a lovely review posted on line in a few days, after I have had the time to calm down and remove the swear words!” 

Turning to Face his three brothers, who are standing in awe of their big brothers cool restraint, he says “come on boys lets go to Burger King!”

“Can we not try the Mexican restaurant across the street?” Alan asks “I really want to eat in a real restaurant now! But preferably one that’s not so snooty!” 

The Mexican restaurant is busy and fast paced, but they are welcomed in with open arms and shown to a table by a friendly young waitress who takes their order without questioning if they have the money to pay for it. 

The service is quick and efficient and the food is deliciously hot. It’s just what they need after such an awful week. 

Scott makes sure he adds a large tip to the bill as they head out the door, past the now closed Italian and back to their hotel. 

Where the concierge is waiting for them. 

“Scott, Virgil, John, Alan? Where have you guys been? I have been looking for you for an hour, you left your phones in the suite. You need to get back to the hospital. NOW 

They look at each other in horror, Scott can’t believe he left his phone behind. He never leaves his phone behind. He was always on at his dad to invent a water proof one he could take in the shower with him! Why now? Why would he suddenly be so irresponsible now? 

They thank the concierge and walk back out the main entrance to the hospital, each wondering the exact same thing. 

What’s gone wrong now?


	7. Good Karma

John grabs Scott’s arm just as he is pushing the door to the hospital open. 

“I can’t do this Scott, every time I think there is hope this happens, he is never getting better and it is my fault, I killed my little brother”. John is crying now, outside in the street where everyone is staring at him. 

“You have got to stop this John, you made a huge error of judgement and yes it was wrong, but it is not the only factor in what happened to Gordon We all should have been paying more attention to him. The fact is we were all in denial that anything was wrong. Now let’s get in there and be there for him and for each other.”

They make their second attempt at entering the hospital. Walking towards the intensive care unit that is starting to feel like home as they have spent so much time there now. 

Grandma is waiting for them, her face impassive and not giving a single clue as to why they have been called in so late in the evening. 

“Where were you?” She asks 

“We went for some food” Scott Answers, his eyes not leaving the ground, he can’t even look her in the face as the shame of being uncontactable for 90 minutes sinks in. “I’m sorry, I should have remembered my phone”

“It’s okay Scott, I am not angry, you boys have been through a lot recently, but please next time take your phones with you” 

“Why are we here Grandma? What has happened to him now, I don’t think he can physically take much more?” Virgil asks softly. 

“Why don’t you come in here and have a seat and we can talk about it” she replies, turning and walking back into the room. 

They collectively gasp in shock at the sight that greets them. 

Gordon is sitting up sipping water from a glass. He still has an oxygen tube attached to his nose, and a drip in his arm as well as being hooked up to about a million different machines and he looks utterly exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, but he is alive. 

He grins at the looks of shock and disbelief on their faces, they can’t believe after everything he has been through that he is not only conscious but he’s smiling 

“Gordon” Alan gasps about to leap on to the bed with him, only to be stopped in his tracks by Scott. 

“Careful Allie, be gentle with him” 

Alan looks hurt, he wasn’t going to do anything wrong he just wanted his brother. 

Gordon senses his brothers upset, handing the glass to Virgil he opens his arms for Alan, who doesn’t hesitate to climb onto the bed with him, and despite Scott’s reservations ensures that he is careful. 

Gordon and Alan are soon both fast asleep, with Alan lying in Gordon’s arms clinging to the brother he came so close to losing. 

“What happens now Grandma? Can he go home?” 

“No Virgil, he will still have to stay here for a few more days, physically he is still very weak, and he is going to need a lot of rest, and a lot of support from all of us” 

“He’s got it, whatever he needs, whenever. He wants a snack at 3am I’m his guy!” Virgil promises 

“I don’t doubt it, but at home things are going to have to change. For everyone. I know you and John are struggling sharing a room right now, but I can’t see a better solution, also I want Gordon set up downstairs, so he isn’t going up and down stairs all day for a while. And he will need to be tutored as he won’t be well enough to go back to school for several weeks” 

“What about swimming?” Virgil asks. 

“He won’t be allowed to do that for several months” grandma replies sadly. 

“I don’t mind sharing with Virgil” Scott tells her earnestly, “John can then have my room all to himself and snore until his hearts content every night!” He adds grinning at his middle brother. 

Suddenly everything makes them laugh, the relief clear in their exhausted bodies and voices. 

They fall into a comfortable silence each lost In their own thoughts and promises to change. 

Grandma vowing to be more understanding, to listen to her grandsons, and to never let one of them get so ill again when a simple piece of communication could have saved them so much pain. 

Scott, to be more protective of his siblings, never again will any of them feel like they’re completely alone and unwanted 

Virgil, to turn his life around, no more rebellion, he’s going to make his parents proud of him. 

John, to never ever get angry with someone he loves ever again. His brothers occasionally drive him insane but this week has taught him that he wouldn’t swap their chaotic lives for the world. 

“I think it’s time you guys headed back to the hotel for the night” grandma tells them. Breaking the silence. 

“What about Allie?” Scott asks, as he is still fast asleep on the bed with Gordon. 

“I would say leave him there but I am not sure the doctors would approve, see if you can prise him away from Gordon and take him with you” 

Alan whimpers in his sleep but doesn’t wake up, as Scott picks him up gently. He snuggles into Scott’s shoulder, and not even when the chilled night air attacks them as they walk across the hotel does he wake up. 

The same concierge is still on duty, he smiles at them as they enter the lobby

“Everything okay boys”

Scott looks at his three brothers and grins. 

“Yeah, everything is okay now. Thanks for asking”

Alan grumbles at Scott while he tries to get him into his pyjamas, but eventually he gets him into bed, on the sofa as he knows that if they try the bed they will be woken in a few hours by this youngest brothers screaming. 

Virgil has made hot chocolate and they all gather in the room Virgil and Scott are sharing. 

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe he’s going to be okay. I honestly thought we were going to lose him” John tells them. 

“Me neither” Virgil adds 

Scott just nods. Suddenly overcome with emotion a few tears escape, and the rest just follow sliding gracefully down his face. Virgil and John sit down either side of their big brother holding him while he cries, his head buried in Johns shoulder. Until he has no more tears left. Lifting his head up at last he manages a weak smile. 

“Come on let’s try and get some sleep” Scott tells them, stretching out on the bed behind where John and Virgil and still sitting and slowly nudging them off the bed. 

“Come on John, we know where we aren’t wanted!” Virgil tells his brother laughing. 

All of them sleep soundly. Even grandma. And they can’t wait until they can take Gordon home with them again. As a family they will nurse him back to health and as a family they all face a much brighter future. 

*

Alan is up at 5am the following morning. Much to Scott’s disappointment! 

“Scott? Scott? Scott?” He repeats over and over again to get his attention 

“Whazzamarter” Scott mumbles sleepily

“I’m hungry, and I want to go and see Gordy and I’m thirsty and Scott please!” Alan pleads with him 

“Alan it’s 5 o’clock in the morning, why don’t you get into bed with me for a few more hours and we will get up at 7 have breakfast and then go and see Gordon.” He tries to suggest lifting the blanket enticingly. 

Alan pouts “but Scotty Gordy needs me” 

“He needs all of us, but he also needs to sleep. If you do this one thing for me I promise you we will go and see Gordy in a few hours. And I will let you order extra pancakes for breakfast” Scott tells him, resorting to bribery! 

“How many extra pancakes?” His blonde haired blue eyed youngest brother asks, clearly not ready to accept Scott’s bribe unless there are specifics! 

“As many as you can eat!” Scott adds desperately 

Sold! Alan thinks as he climbs into Scott’s bed and cuddles into him. 

They are all wide awake and eating all you can eat pancakes by half past seven, in the hotel restaurant. 

Scott and Virgil have coffee to go with it while John and Alan have orange juice, John is too young for coffee and they have no intentions of letting Alan anywhere near caffeine! 

*

They spend the rest of the day in Gordon’s room catching him up on everything he’s missed, and all their plans for the future now they can finally start to make some. 

They are interrupted early in the afternoon by Gordon’s English teacher, bringing chocolates and a get well soon card signed by most of the kids in his grade. 

“Bloody hell Tracy! Some people will do anything to get out of detention!” He announces laughing. 

Gordon just grins back unapologetically. 

He gives the chocolates to Grandma, much to the boys disappointment, as he knows they wouldn’t last five minutes in the company of the boys. 

“Just be grateful I bought you some chocolates and not the big backlog of homework you currently have. But do me a favour Gordon, you ever get sick and fall asleep in my English class again tell me you’re not feeling well. You think I would have given you detention if I had known you were sick?” 

“No sir, I’m sorry I should have said something sooner I just didn’t want anyone to worry about me” 

“It’s okay kid, and don’t worry your homework is still waiting for you when you get back! But not the detention. You know in my 40 years as a teacher you’re the first student I have had that’s found a way out of my detention!” 

“What can I say sir, I am a talented boy!” Gordon replies laughing. Which becomes a cough, which he can’t stop. 

Virgil springs into action and grabs the oxygen mask from the side and holds it up to his face covering his nose and mouth 

“It’s okay Gordy just breathe slowly and try to stay calm” Virgil is talking to him soothingly. 

“That hurt Virgy” he tells him once his breathing has calmed down. 

“It’s okay. Virgy has you gordo” 

“Always?” He asks hopefully 

“Always” Virgil confirms 

“I will let you get some rest Gordon, just concentrate on getting better” his English teacher tells him. 

“Yes sir” he replies as he drifts back off to sleep.


	8. Sleeping arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon is finally coming home, and now it’s the time to distribute justice to his big brothers! Who are about to learn the hard way that framing someone and assaulting them are both unacceptable behaviours!

It is another two weeks before doctor Forrester finally allows Gordon to go home. And in those two weeks he has been moved from intensive care into his own private room, which is full of cards and flowers from his friends, Scott can’t believe his little brother is more popular than he is! 

Doctor Forrester is coming to see him for one final time before allowing his brothers and grandma to take him to his freedom, with some final instructions. 

“Okay Gordo I want at least four to six weeks of complete rest, you don’t have to stay in bed, but no swimming, no school - although feel free to try and catch up on your school work!, no skateboarding, no skydiving, basically nothing that isn’t lie on the sofa and boss your brothers around. Can you do that for me?” 

Gordon laughs, “I think I can just about manage that!” 

“Good boy, and I want you to go to weekly checkups with your own doctor just to make sure everything is still okay, and if you start to feel at all unwell tell someone straight away” the doctor adds, getting serious with him now. 

“I will” Gordon nods, “and doc...?”

“Thank you for saving my life” 

“Any time kiddo, you’ve been a good patient, just don’t end up back in my intensive care unit again! I don’t think your family can cope with the stress!” 

“I will try my best not too!” Gordon tells him. 

“Oh slaves!” He calls out to his brothers, “I am ready to be taken home now!”

Virgil just laughs, he knows Gordon is going to be the worst patient in the world once he is at home and especially once he is well enough to be bored! But he made himself a promise to look after him, and that is exactly what he plans to do. 

They wheel him out of the hospital and down to Scott’s car. And finally he is free. He insists on having the window open all the way home so he can breathe fresh air, even though it is still below zero. And they don’t even try to talk him out of it, they’re all just so happy to be taking him home. 

The escape was co-ordinated by Grandma, Scott and Virgil while John stayed home with Alan as the car just isn’t big enough for six people. 

They were warned by doctor Forrester that the journey would tire him out and he was right, Gordon is asleep when Scott pulls up outside the house. Virgil gently wakes him up, rather than carrying him into the house as they had agreed that he deserved to be awake when walking into his home for the first time in nearly three weeks. 

He gets himself comfortable on the sofa with the tv remote and a box of celery crunch bars. Settling down to watch his favourite movie he doesn’t make it through the opening credits before he is once again asleep. 

*

John and Virgil are in what used to be their dads office, Standing in front of his big oak desk which is still littered with his papers, no one has been in here since before he disappeared. Grandma takes a seat on the other side and looks her grandsons in the eyes. She knows they need to be punished, but she also knows that they are punishing themselves everyday. 

There are family photos adorning every inch of wall space possible, and the room is brightly lit and comfortable. They all used to love coming in here and watching their dad work, he had endless amounts of patience when it came to teaching his sons. And if they had no questions he would let them play games on his tablet while he worked. But he is gone, and he may never come back. Now is the time for them to move on. 

“I am guessing the pair of you thought I had forgotten about what you did to Gordon?” Grandma announces sternly. 

They both shake their heads, holding their breath. The truth was they had never been able to forget or forgive themselves, even when they knew he was going to be okay. 

“Well I haven’t, and now that your brother is home safe it is time to get back to the disciplinary action you both require. I have had ample time to think up suitable punishments for the pair of you and this is what I have decided.” 

They look at each other and gulp remembering their pact to accept whatever it is she has in mind for them. 

“First of all we need to sort out the new sleeping arrangements, and your first punishment will be to clean out Alan and Gordon’s room and get the dining room sorted out as that is where Gordon will be sleeping until he is ready to climb the stairs” 

“That’s the first part?!” Virgil interrupts horrified “you mean cleaning out what even Gordon and Alan refer to as the garbage pit isn’t punishment enough?” 

“No it is not” she stares them down until they blink and moves on. 

“Secondly” she moves on “Until Gordon is properly back on his feet the pair of you will be doing all of his chores in addition to your own”

“That’s fair” John tells her. 

“And finally, the pair of you are both grounded until further notice. Virgil you will have ample time to get caught up with your school work. And John I expect you also to spend your punishment time appropriately”. 

“Now the pair of you are dismissed, I want you upstairs in Gordon and Alan’s room within the next 2 minutes, and you might want to don protective clothing!” She adds with an evil laugh. 

*

They stand in the doorway to the room with identical looks of horror on their faces, where are they expected to even start? There’s piles of stuff everywhere you can barely move without falling over something carelessly left lying on the floor. The bits of carpet they can see are a horrible faded shade of grey. 

Alan’s bed is covered in toys and books apart from one small section in the middle where he sleeps. 

Fighting his way over to Alan’s bed John starts to gather the stray books, piling them up neatly near the pillows. 

“Virgil, see if you can make your way to the book case and I will start handing you the books to put away” 

This isn’t a bad tactic as Virgil will put them away neatly in no time at all whereas John would spend hours arranging them alphabetically by author surname, and by year published within each category. 

Tidying the room takes them an entire day and most of the following day too, as they had to stop to reassemble Gordon’s bed downstairs. They’re almost done when John opens a cupboard and a lot of additional clothes and magazines fall out on top of him, and to his abject horror a rat. 

The rat leaps to one side, baring its teeth at John, furious at being disturbed. 

“Stay still John, I will get it for you” Virgil tells him, he makes a grab for it but it runs away under Alan’s bed 

“How did they let this place get so bad that it is infested with rats???” John asks disgusted, he isn’t afraid of all rodents, just the really big, really hairy ones. 

“I have absolutely no clue, but we have to catch the blasted thing” Virgil replies crawling under the bed trying to entice the rat out, “John nip downstairs and get some cheese or something to bait it with”

“Okay but they prefer peanut butter” 

“Then get that then!” Virgil replies as he rolls his eyes 

John races downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing the jar of peanut butter, and a rolling pin. 

“And where do you think you are taking that young man?” Grandma asks, “I don’t recall telling you it was break time!” 

“I know but there’s a ginormous rat in Alan and Gordon’s room and I have to try to entice it out so we can get rid of it” John tells her brandishing the rolling pin. 

“What?!” Alan interrupts “you can’t get rid of him, me and Gordon..”

“Gordon and I” John corrects

“No, me and Gordon, you had nothing to do with it!” Alan replies confused 

“Oh never mind! What were you saying about the rat?”

“He’s our pet, we got him from the barn and spent months taming him, and he doesn’t even like peanut butter. He likes doughnuts!” Alan tells him indignantly. 

“You are saying that you took a wild, filthy, disease ridden rodent into our house and didn’t tell anybody?” John asks 

“No we took an orphaned baby rat and nursed him back to health. He was sick Johnny and he needed us. Ask Gordon if you don’t believe me” 

The three of them walk into the living room where Gordon is lying on the sofa, watching a game show.

“Tell me about the rat Gordo” Grandma asks him 

“Alan wanted a pet” he replies with a shrug, “and you said no to a dog”. 

“I give up, Alan go and help them catch your rat I think there is a cage out in the barn he can live in”

“You’re going to let them keep it?” John asks horror struck 

“I don’t see why not!” Grandma replies, taking back the rolling pin. 

“How did you look after him while we were all away?” John asks 

“Simple, he knows how to get into your secret stash of bagels so was eating them. Go and have a look!” Gordon tells him. 

“My bagels?” John can’t believe this. But sure enough the bagels are gone. 

Alan gets the rat out from under the bed, perfectly happy now it is sitting on his shoulder nibbling part of a doughnut. 

“He’s kind of cute” Virgil remarks, “what’s his name?” 

“Ratty McRatface” Alan tells him seriously. 

“Welcome to the family Ratty McRatface”! Virgil tells him stroking his back gently. 

*

Finally Alan and Gordon’s room is unrecognisable. The carpet which was actually blue and not grey is clean and fresh, Alan’s bed has been made, even the curtains have been washed. And Ratty McRatface is getting used to his cage, which has been given pride of place on the newly organised, freshly polished chest of draws. 

Virgil and John are just grateful that they made it out alive and in one piece! And that the worst part of their punishment is over, and has actually bought them closer together. 

Climbing into bed in the room he now shares with Scott, Virgil finally feels better, he’s faced up to what he did and come through the first part of his punishment without any permanent damage. 

Finally he feels ready to start living again, just a pity he’s grounded indefinitely then! He thinks as he drifts off to sleep, but not before making sure the monitor linked to the dining room is switched on with the solid green light indicating that it is working, just in case his little brother needs anything at all during the night.


	9. The future is bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for life to get back to normal

Scott is up at 6am on his first Monday back at school, but instead of leaving early for the library he makes breakfast for everyone. He is joined by John who helps him butter a large pile of toast to accompany the pancakes, bagels and selection of cereal he has set out on the kitchen table. There is coffee for grandma and Scott and freshly squeezed juice for his brothers. 

“Hey Gordo, you getting up for breakfast” Virgil asks wandering into the dinning room, where Gordon is sitting up in bed contemplating getting up. 

He nods, peeling back his blanket and climbing out the bed, following Virgil out of the room. 

“Breakfast is served!” Scott and John announce as they enter the kitchen and sit down. 

Gordon is aware of five pairs of eyes watching his every mouthful to make sure he eats enough as he needs to build his strength back up. But he doesn’t mind, he likes the feeling of having them care about him so much. 

In no time at all the food is devoured. Virgil and Alan start cleaning up without needing to be asked, as John and Scott made the meal it is only fair that they clean up. 

*

Scott drops Alan off at school before taking John and Virgil to the high school. 

The three of them are called into Mrs Simpsons office during registration. 

“Oh god” John says to Virgil as they walk to the office together “what do you suppose old toad face wants now?” 

“Probably about to sentence us all to summer school for having so much time off. You know she is about as compassionate as a snake about to devour a baby bird!” Virgil replies. 

Scott is waiting for them when they get there so they can go in together. 

“Come on let’s get this over with and see what fungus features has in store for us” Scott tells them before knocking on the door. 

“Come in” She hollers from the other side. 

She is sitting at her desk, three chairs have been placed for them to sit on, and she has enlisted her long suffering secretary to take notes. 

“Boys, have a seat” she tells them coldly. Her spiteful grey eyes are fixed firmly on them and they do as they’re told. 

“First of all I just want you to know that I am glad your brother is okay”. 

The three of them are taken aback by this statement as that was the last thing they were expecting. 

“However, you were not in the hospital yourselves and therefore you have no excuse for not being in school studying, where you belong. 

“Enough allowances have been made and this is your final warning. Any more unauthorised absence and you will be expelled. I have put this in writing to your grandmother so she knows the situation, and I am giving you this weekend and this weekend only to get all outstanding assignments completed and handed in. 

“As for you Virgil, you need to get at least an A- on all future maths exams between now and the end of the school year or you will fail the 9th grade. 

“Have I made myself clear?” She finishes 

“Crystal” Scott replies. Calm and collected on the outside but on the inside he is fuming, but he knows if he speaks his mind now it will make things worse not only for him but for virgil and John too. 

“Can we go now, only I am late for geography” He adds. 

“Yes, and remember what I said, anymore and you’re all expelled”. 

“What do you think grandma would say if we skipped class and got expelled for fun?” Virgil asks “John and I are already grounded, we can’t get more grounded can we?! Miserable old bat, she really needs to get herself a life!” 

“Don’t even think about it!” Scott warns, “we will go home tonight and explain everything to Grandma though, it is an empty threat anyway. John and I are straight A students, we are good for the schools finances! You however” He adds jokingly. 

*

The three of them meet up for lunch, much to the surprise of their friends. 

“You’re hanging with nerdboy?” Virgil’s friend James asks 

“No of course I’m not!” Virgil replies smirking. 

A hurt look crosses Johns face and he starts to walk towards an empty table. 

Virgil follows him, replying to James; “I am hanging with my brother who has more IQ points than your entire gang combined, and I should never have let you think bullying him was okay. Bullying is never okay” he tells him as he sits down opposite John, where they are quickly joined by Scott. 

James and his gang walk away in disgust. 

“We thought you were cool Tracy!” 

“He is”, Scott replies, “he’s very cool” 

The three of them all laugh, and get started on their food. Which today consists of what the menu insisted was pasta in mushroom sauce but has all the taste and consistency of cardboard covered in glue. 

“I think I know where Grandma learned to cook!” John tells them with disgust. 

“I hate this place, are you sure we can’t get expelled?” Virgil asks Scott, only half joking. 

“Nope! Keep your head down, and study like your life depends on it and you never know you might be able to graduate early, it’s a way of getting out of here” Scott tells him laughing. 

“But Scott, I’m so far behind I don’t think I will ever catch up, as horrible as warty-head is she is right, there is no way I can pass the 9th grade at this rate” Virgil just sounds sad now, he knows he has made a complete mess of this school year. 

“You will, believe it or not I got through the 9th grade, and John is excelling in all things academic and we are going to tutor you, put the work in with us and we will get you through this, if not for yourself or to make mom and dad proud, do it for the ultimate revenge on old rat-face” Scott reassures him. 

*

“How was your first day back Allie?” John asks as he climbs into the back of Scott’s car. 

“Great got so much homework to catch up on though” he replies groaning. 

“Yeah we all have” Virgil tells him. 

“Anyone give you a hard time?” Scott asks 

“No, I think everyone missed me” Alan tells them. 

*

They get home to find Grandma and Gordon both fast asleep on the sofa together, and decide to leave them to it. 

Scott leads his brothers into the kitchen and orders them to get started on their homework, and missed assignments. They work tirelessly for hours, Scott answering Virgil and Alan’s questions, only stopping when Dinner is ready. 

The slow cooked beef stew which has been in the cooker since 9am is weirdly delicious and nothing at all like grandmas usual meals. 

“I got a letter from your school this morning” grandma tells her three elder grandsons. 

“Ooo what did you do this time?!” Gordon teases them 

“They haven’t done anything, but it got me to thinking about the situation here, and I am pulling the three of you out of that awful place, and you’re going to be homeschooled until the end of the school year before starting your new school in September” 

“What new school?” Scott asks barely able to contain his excitement, he might be a brilliant student but he hates that place as much as John and Virgil do. 

“That is the other thing we need to talk about. Before your dads accident he was planning something big for the future, something that will effect us all, and now it is ready but it involves moving the family out of Kansas and saying good bye to all of your friends” 

“Where would we move too?” Gordon asks curiously. 

“Your dad purchased a private island about 15 years ago, and now it is finally ready for us to move into too.” She tells them. 

“Are you kidding? Our own private island? That is so cool!” Alan replies 

“So can we get expelled or are we just leaving?” Virgil asks 

“You are not getting yourself expelled Virgil! I know how you all feel about that woman, believe it or not I feel the same way, but it is not worth messing up your own futures for” 

“How are we getting there? Ratty McRatface won’t be allowed on a plane” Alan asks 

“Neither will Gordon” Virgil adds, “it’s too soon after the operations”. 

“That’s my other surprise for you, we will be going in a friend of your fathers luxury yacht, and yes there is room on there for the rat, I wouldn’t leave your pet behind Alan”. 

“Will we still be grounded on the island?” Virgil asks. 

“Yes!” Grandma replies laughing 

Virgil didn’t really expect a different answer as he starts to clean away the plates from dinner. 

John joins him washing up, as according to the chore chart it’s Gordon’s week. 

“Can you believe this?” John asks “we never have to go back to that hell hole again? No more Mrs Simpson! Virg we are free!” 

“You that now, but grandma is homeschooling us! We may soon find out that troutlips is the lesser of two evils” Virgil tells him laughing. 

“We will soon find out!”


	10. Poker face

Grandma is true to her word, the following morning she marches Scott, Virgil and John into the high school after dropping Alan off and asking their neighbour to keep an eye on Gordon. 

“I would like to see Mrs Simpson” she announces to the secretary. A small, skinny women with limp dark brown hair that hangs over her eyes and who is clearly terrified of the domineering head teacher. 

“Do you have an appointment?” She asks, knowing that Mrs Simpson will not like being disturbed without warning. 

“Nope, just tell her Mrs Tracy is here to discuss the way she is treating her students” 

“I don’t think I can do that, not without an appointment as she is a very busy woman with a lot of important jobs to do to ensure the school runs smoothly” she advises, all in one tone and this is clearly something she has rehearsed a number of times, to many angry parents during the years. 

“Waxing her moustache does not count as busy” grandma assures her, a comment she knows Gordon would have found hilarious “and I plan on waiting here until she comes out and agrees to a meeting with me”

Knowing when to admit defeat the secretary picks up her phone and dials the extension number. 

Mrs Simpson picks up the receiver. 

“WHAT?” She barks, breathing heavily and clearly annoyed at the disturbance. 

“Mrs Tracy is here in reception and wants to see you right away.”

“Unless it is to tell me that those awful grandsons of hers have been arrested for their terrible attitudes and behaviour I am not interested”. She tells her. 

“But she won’t leave until she’s spoken to you?” 

Angry enough to breathe fire Mrs Simpson lets out an irritated grunt. 

“Okay fine. Show her in”. 

“You can go in, good luck” the secretary tells the four of them. 

“Oh, it is her that will need it!” Scott assures her, messing with their grandma is never a good idea, even Gordon learned that playing pranks on this woman was a bad idea at a very young age! 

“Well?” Mrs Simpson says as a way of greeting the four of them as they enter the office. 

Mrs Tracy can’t believe how ugly it is. The walls are dark and dingy, and the curtains are still drawn. 

Grandma draws the curtains causing the dust particles to dance in the weak sunlight now shining through the window. To her great surprise the evil old battle axe doesn’t burst into flames! 

“I am here to inform you that I am removing the boys from this school with immediate effect. They are here to collect their things and while they do so we are going to have a little talk about why you feel the need to be such a bitch to them. Five years ago they lost their mother in tragic circumstances, and their dad was left to raise five young boys on his own. He did an amazing job, and they were happy and well balanced individuals who knew the value of hard work and loyalty. 

“Then they came here, the bullying toxic culture in this school drove a wedge in between them and suddenly those bonds were in danger of breaking apart. 

“Just as they were starting to find ways to cope with all the changes they lost their father. And they broke apart in ways that even they don’t realise yet. Not one of these boys knew what to do to make everything better, but instead of helping them you made them feel as though their feelings didn’t matter, that what they were going through personally was a waste of time. As long as they kept showing up and going through the motions of being alive they were left alone. No one here seemed to care that they were no longer alive, that they were empty shells desperately clinging onto a life raft, which three weeks ago, very nearly sank. 

“So yes, my grandsons are being removed, and you will never get the pleasure of teaching Alan, or the torment of trying to teach Gordon, but you only have your self to blame. My plan is to homeschool until the summer then at the start of the next school year they will be attending a school more suited to their needs. One run by humans and not monsters. 

And with that, Grandma is done with her lecture and the boys are back having emptied out their lockers. Mrs Simpson almost looks sorry, but they know that it is an act, the women wouldn’t know what compassion for others was if it bit her. 

Together they all leave the building and get into grandmas car and head home. 

There is a huge black Bentley in front of their house when they pull up. 

“Who does that belong too?” Virgil asks In awe. 

“Lord Creighton-Ward” grandma replies, “he was a very good friend of your fathers and he has been helping set everything up on the island. I wonder if he has bought along his daughter Lady Penelope?”

“He sounds about 90 years old!” Virgil replies. 

“Well he isn’t; and be polite. You are already grounded young man” Grandma reminds him sternly. 

“But I can’t get more grounded!” Virgil replies, smirking. Suddenly looking and sounding more like Gordon than she ever gave him credit for. 

“No, but there are a million ways I could make it a lot worse for you!” She threatens. 

Defeated Virgil laughs, “Okay I will play nice”. He assures her. 

“Good!” 

“I bet his daughter is an old crone too!” Virgil mumbles to John as they climb out the back of the car and head into the house. 

“I heard that Virgil, one more word and you are in your room for the rest of the day!” Grandma tells him. 

They find Lord Creighton-Ward sitting cross legged on the floor with Lady Penelope and Gordon, playing poker. 

But lady Penelope is not the old crone he was expecting, far from it. Her long blonde hair frames a face too pretty for Virgil to insult, she is about the same age as John he notes, far too young for him. 

“Lord Hugh” grandma welcomes him warmly, “what are you doing sitting on the floor?” 

“Having my life savings wiped out by Gordon here at Texas Holdem!” He replies with a chuckle. “I hope you didn’t mind, your neighbour had to leave so I said I would keep an eye on gordo for you” 

“I don’t mind at all, but Gordon is not allowed to gamble under my roof! And who taught you to play poker Gordon?”

“Dad” Gordon replies with a shrug, “only after a while he wouldn’t play it with me because I kept beating him! How do you think I finance my celery crunch bar addiction?” 

“By fleecing people of their hard earned money?” Grandma pretends to be horrified. 

“My brothers don’t do anything to earn that allowance, and I win it fair and square!” Gordon replies indignantly 

“I give up, how much does Lord Hugh owe you anyway?” She asks, almost afraid of his answer. 

“Two million six hundred and fifty thousand pounds and forty four pence” Gordon replies proudly, “but if he pays up promptly I will knock off the forty four pence!” 

“I know what Jeff meant now, when he said this one was trouble!” Lord Hugh laughs, grandma joining in quickly. 

“That’s our Gordo!” She announces proudly ruffling his hair, “and we wouldn’t have him any other way”. 

“Who wants some lunch?” Grandma announces. 

They all agree enthusiastically. 

“Virgil, John, kitchen now!” She tells them, “and get rustling up some sandwiches for everyone” 

I might keep them grounded forever she thinks, it is like having two personal assistants! 

*

Lord Hugh volunteers to collect Alan from school in the afternoon. 

“In the Bentley?” Gordon asks. “Can I come? Pleeeeeeeaaaaase” he begs, “I have never been in a Bentley before!” 

“What do you think grandma?” Lord Hugh asks amused. 

“I don’t see why not. There are two conditions though. Condition number one, you let Lord Hugh off his gambling debts! And number two you go for a nap when you get home, you have only just got out of the hospital” 

“Deal” Gordon readily agrees before racing out the door and into the warm interior of the luxury car. 

They pull up to the elementary school, with everyone staring as Gordon opens the window to get Alan’s attention. 

“Oh my god! Who’s is this?” Alan asks as he climbs into the seat next to Gordon. 

“That would be Me, Lord Hugh Creighton-Ward” he turns round in the drivers seat and holds his hand out for Alan to shake. 

“Now let’s see what this car can really do!” He tells the excited children in the back. 

*

Virgil is sat at the kitchen table with John and Scott reading an English assignment. 

“Who is responsible for the untimely deaths of Romeo and Juliet? He reads the essay question grandma set him aloud. “Shakespeare. He wrote it!”

“I dare you to submit that!” John tells him. 

“And yet he’s passing English!” Scott adds laughing. 

*

“GRANDMA!” Alan calls running into the house ”that was so awesome the car flies! And it does 150 miles an hour! Well on land. In the air it’s even faster. I want one for my birthday!” He tells her excitedly. 

Lord Hugh follows him in carrying Gordon on his back, he looks tired but happy, his chin rested on Lord Hugh’s shoulder. 

“He’s exaggerating!” He laughs. “A little! Now let’s get this little munchkin down for a nap” he smiles indulgently at Gordon who doesn’t put up a fight and allows Lord Creighton-Ward to put him to bed. 

*

Later in the evening everyone is asleep apart from grandma and Lord Hugh. 

“I just wanted to say thank you for today, the boys needed that” grandma tells him 

“Anytime, it was really good fun, Gordon fell asleep on the way back, he’s trying to put a brave face on it all but he’s still gets really tired easily” Lord Hugh replies 

“Yeah I know, it’s terrifies me how close we came to losing him, and I never want to go through that again” grandma assures him. 

“What about Jeffs plans?”

“I don’t know, I know the boys will want to play a part and keep this dream alive but I just don’t know. I can’t go through this again”. Grandma tells him. 

“If they want to do this, you may not have a choice” Lord Hugh warns her.


	11. Saying goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil has to say goodbye to an old friend.

The next ten days pass in a blur of packing up the whole house, which is a lot harder than any of them thought it would be. Gordon tries to join in and help and only when Grandma threatens to chain him to the sofa does he give up and let his brothers sort out his possessions without him. 

He is finally starting to get bored; which they only see as a good thing, as before he was too exhausted to protest about his current predicament. 

He is lying on the sofa watching a show he has recently discovered starring two natural scientists who travel all over the universe looking to prove myths, this week they are in Scotland looking for the Loch Ness Monster. He picks up the Buzzer for the intercom they installed for him just in case if he needs anything. 

“That’s the fifteenth time today, you can tell he’s definitely getting better, he’s bored! Your turn, Virgil. I went last time” John tells him laughing. They are both up in the attic sorting through a million boxes, full of mainly junk. 

“Anything to get out of here for ten minutes!” Virgil replies scarpering. 

“What’s up Gords?” He asks when he gets downstairs and into the living room. 

“Where is everyone else? I wanted Scott to make me a milkshake” 

“Out getting Alan from school, then they are going food shopping. And why can’t I make it for you?” Virgil asks 

“Because you forgot to defrost the frozen strawberries last time and it was disgusting!” Gordon tells him. 

“Why don’t you give me a second chance, or better yet come down to the kitchen and supervise!” Virgil asks him, holding out a hand to help him up from the sofa. 

Together they make their way into the kitchen, Gordon jumps up on to the work surface and makes himself comfortable. 

It takes Virgil about twice as long with Gordon’s help than it would have done if he had done it alone, but he likes having his little brother with him and he hates the thought of ever leaving his side again. 

Once he has him settled back down on the sofa with his milkshake he joins John back up in the attic. 

“What did prince Gordon want this time?” John asks laughing. 

“Milkshake” Virgil replies. 

“From you? But the last time you didn’t defrost the strawberries!” John admonishes him. 

“I am aware! Why do you think it took so long, I had his help!” Virgil grins. “Are we nearly done here? I know we are being punished, but surely we don’t deserve all the worst jobs!” 

“Oh I don’t know about that” a voice from the doorway announces. 

They spin round to face Grandma. “You are sorting out the garage next, then the basement and finally the barn!” She replies. 

They both collectively groan. 

*  
Before they get started on the basement, Virgil goes down into dads office where grandma is sorting through his papers. This is one job she would never put the boys through. 

“Grandma, I need to go out”. Virgil announces. 

“Nope, not while your grounded, you know the rules!” She tells him sternly. 

“But we are leaving soon and there is someone I need to say goodbye too” he tells her, “how about you come with me, that way you can make sure I am not sneaking out to have fun!” 

“That sounds fair” she tells him. “How about tomorrow morning after I have dropped Alan off at school”

“Sure” He replies easily. 

“Now go and join John in the basement and I will call you when dinner is ready”. 

*

She is surprised when they walk into a music store, she hasn’t even seen Virgil even touch the piano since his dad disappeared. 

“Hi Stan”, he says to the shop owner. 

“Virgil! Long time no see, who is this?”

“My grandma, I wanted to see you before I left, to say goodbye, we are moving out of Kansas in a few weeks”. He tells him, Stan can’t help noticing that there is something very different about him. He almost looks like he is smiling inside, that things are finally getting better. 

“Did you want to collect everything?” Stan asks. 

“If that’s okay?” Virgil replies. 

Grandma has no idea what he is talking about but follows the two of them upstairs and into the room above. 

Virgil heads over to the cupboard and removes several large canvasses. The paintings are all the same. His family in various poses. All happy and alive. He’s painted them all. His brothers, her, his mum and dad, everyone he loves has been represented here. 

“How about a cup of coffee before you go” Stan asks them. “Virgil run downstairs and put the closed sign up and lock the door”. 

They settle around the table clutching steaming mugs of coffee and talk. 

“How long have you been coming here Virgil?” Grandma wants to know. 

“About five months, the day after dad vanished, I had a big row with Scott and I just ran away. I kept running until I couldn’t physically move anymore. Stan saw me outside the shop and invited me in. He talked to me, he was the only person who talked to me about anything. So I started coming here more often, sometimes I would just skip a class or two, sometimes I would spend the whole day. I’m sorry grandma, for everything.” And with that Virgil burst into tears. 

He cries for a long Time. His head buried into her shoulder and she says nothing, she just holds her broken grandson and lets his sob his heart out. 

She is grateful that he found someone to talk to about everything. Someone he knew he can trust. 

“Thank you, for looking after him for me” she tells Stan, for doing what I couldn’t, she adds to herself silently. 

“It’s okay, he reminds me of my son at his age, and he turned out fine! He’s a concert pianist now. My wife is brags about him to anyone who will listen” he adds with a smile. 

Virgil is surprised. All the times he has been here he never knew that Stan had a family. 

“Come on, I think it’s time we got home and found out how much Gordon has been tormenting your brothers!” Grandma tells him. 

*

Gordon is asleep when they get back, Scott is cooking lunch and John is still sorting out the basement. 

“Something smells good Scotty”, grandma acknowledges walking into the kitchen. 

The kitchen is bare, apart the basic necessities and they have been ordering take out almost every evening, but Scott just wanted to have a proper meal for once. 

“Pancakes” He replies. “Almost ready, if someone would be so kind as to wake Gords up and get John for me”. 

Sleepily, and still in his pyjamas, Gordon follows Virgil into the kitchen yawning loudly. 

“Afternoon sleepy head” Scott greets him. 

“Mmm” Gordon mumbles as he sits down. 

“You okay kid?” Grandma asks him concernedly. 

“Yeah, just tired this morning” He replies. 

“Okay, but you start to feel unwell you say something, understand?” She tells him. 

“I will but I am fine, think I have been over doing things a bit” He assures her. 

“Want lunch in bed gordo?” Scott asks. 

“Would anyone mind?” He asks 

“Of course not”, they all reply in unison. 

Gordon doesn’t hesitate to go back to bed. 

“Grandma?” Virgil asks equally concerned. 

She gets up and follows him into the dinning room where he is already back in bed, the pancakes on the side being ignored. 

“Truth Gordo, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just tired” he insists. 

“If you aren’t feeling better tomorrow you are going to the doctor” she insists. 

“Okay” he agrees. His eyes already closing. 

*

“ALAN YOUR BLOODY RAT IS LOOSE AGAIN!” John yells at him. It is almost dinner time, and John is finally packing up his room, only to find Alan’s “pet” sat on his bookcase happily chewing one of his books. 

“That thing hates me!” He tells Alan who comes running and scoops Ratty McRatface up laughing at his brothers disgusted look. 

“Yeah” he agrees “but it’s only because he senses that you don’t like him so he is trying to win you over” Alan insists. 

“Well he is going the wrong way about it!” John tells him disgusted. “I don’t know why grandma let you keep that thing. It would not have suffered if I had been allowed to get rid of it!” 

Alan is saved from having to answer by grandma calling them down for dinner. 

They eat in the dinning room while Gordon eats on a tray in his bed, still feeling lethargic but better than he did that morning. 

*

The following morning Alan begs to stay home while grandma bundles up a still struggling Gordon into the car for a trip to the doctor. 

They wait all morning, all working together to try and get the basement packed up and ready, even though it has been assigned to John and Virgil, they want to stay together while the anxiously wait for news. 

“He was getting better” Virgil says, mainly to himself he isn’t really wanting a response. 

Eventually they hear the front door open, racing upstairs grandma is there with Gordon, who looks miserable. 

“Well?” Scott asks 

“He’s fine, he’s just been over doing it a bit. So he’s been given stricter instructions to remain in bed for a few days”. 

They’re all relieved grateful that this is nothing serious as they walk him back to the dinning room and collectively force him into bed. 

“Want some company Gords?” John asks, nervously. He had not been able to spend much time alone with him since he got home from the hospital. 

“Sure” Gordon replies “just don’t let Grandma catch you, you’re meant to be the basement!”

“Gordon, I just want to apologise” John starts 

“it’s okay John, you were angry, and I’m over it. You didn’t know I didn’t do it” 

“No Gordon. It isn’t, even if you had actually trashed the room I should not have hurt you, and I certainly shouldn’t have told you that I no longer considered you my brother. It haunts me still that those could have been the last words I said to you. You have no idea how I felt when I found you unconscious. You could have died thinking I hated you” 

”It’s okay John, please don’t cry on me! I think we have all shed enough tears now. And John... I want you to know I forgive you, for everything” Gordon tells him sincerely. “Now how about a hug?”

John doesn’t hesitate, he climbs onto the bed next to his little brother, wrapping his arms around his still fragile frame, and holding him as closely as possible without causing any further damage. 

They lie there for hours, Gordon falling asleep quickly and John not far behind. 

”Has anyone seen John?” Virgil asks, he was expecting him to join him back in the basement once Gordon was home. 

“No, I haven’t seen him” Grandma tells him, she’s not impressed. She gave Virgil and John specific instructions and she expected them to be obeyed. 

”Hey guys, come take a look at this” Scott whispers from the doorway to the dining room. 

Virgil, Alan and Grandma join him, in the dining room. Even Grandma doesn’t have the heart to disturb the two sleeping boys and force John back to work!

“hey Virg? Fancy the afternoon off too?” Grandma asks him. 

“Sure!” Virgil replies. “See you all later!” And legging it out the room before she can change her mind! 

*

“When are we leaving for this island grandma?” Alan asks. 

“As soon as the doctors say it is okay for Gordon to travel. May be a couple of weeks yet though”. 

“And talking of the island your dad wanted to give it a name that meant something to us all. What do you guys think of Tracy Island?”


	12. Virgil’s secret project

“Tracy Island?” Scott Asks in awe, “you mean we own the whole thing and can name it after ourselves?” 

“Yep!” Grandma tells him amused 

“Is it big enough for us all to have our own rooms?” John asks, aware that none of his brothers will share with him! 

“It sure is, and it has a guest house for visitors” she adds. “And a pool!” Looking over at Gordon whose face lights up, he can’t believe after all the years of begging he is getting his own pool. 

“What about Ratty McRatface? Does he get his own room?” Alan asks. 

“No” John snaps harshly, “that rodent is being released back into the barn where it belongs!” 

“Grandma” Alan shrieks, tears threatening to form in his sparkly blue eyes. 

“John don’t be so rotten, Alan you know we are bringing him with us. He is tame and wouldn’t survive in the wild. But I think he would be happier in your room with you, don’t you think Allie? 

Alan nods, just grateful that he isn’t expected to abandon his friend. 

“Maybe we could release John into the wild and leave him in the barn” Gordon asks “if he stays in the barn and doesn’t go out in direct sunlight he won’t burn to a crisp!” 

Everyone apart from John laughs. John just glares at his younger brother, trying to maintain an air of angry dignity but deep down if he is completely honest with himself he has missed being insulted by his brothers. 

“Enough boys. Everyone is coming as soon as Gordon gets the all clear we are going. Lord Hugh is lending us his yacht” 

“Does the yacht fly?” Alan asks 

“No it doesn’t fly. It’s just a boat!” Grandma tells him. 

Alan manages to hide his look of disappointment from nobody!

*

Scott can’t figure out why Virgil keeps sneaking out of their room in the middle of the night still. He didn’t think he was leaving the house but he could never find him and he was always back in bed after an hour or two. He knows that they all promised that there would no longer be keeping secrets from each other, and Virgil has asked him to drop it, but the curiosity is killing Scott. 

He is awake when Virgil quietly sneaks back in, looking at the clock lit up on his bedside table it is half three in the morning. 

“Going to tell me where you were?” He asks. Not expecting a response. 

“Nope!” Virgil tells him grinning “but I’m not breaking the rules and sneaking out, I don’t want to be grounded for longer and I’m not breaking the law!” 

That is all the information he gets from him as he climbs into bed pulling the duvet almost over his head. 

“It’s cold tonight Scott. I think it’s going to snow again” he tells him 

“Yuck! This winter has lasted forever and I never want to see snow ever again” Scott groans. 

“Same big bro, same!” Virgil replies. 

*

Sure enough the following day there is fresh snow on the ground. 

Alan comes running into Johns room, and chucks a snowball at his sleeping brothers head, causing a confused John to startle and tell him to fuck off. 

“I’m telling grandma you swore!” Alan tells him delightedly 

“And I’m telling grandma you’re a pain in the butt! Get out of my room Alan and go and annoy someone else!” 

“But it’s snowing. And it’s Saturday so I don’t have to go to school! Come and play with me!” Alan pleads, making his eyes as wide and as desperate as possible. 

“No. Can you not go and ask Scott or Virgil?” 

“I did and they said no, so I asked Gordon and he said to throw a snowball at your head!” 

“Ugh” John replies sitting up, knowing it is impossible to go back to sleep now. 

“Okay fine, give me twenty minutes to get dressed and I will come and help you build a snowman!” 

“Okay” Alan replies. Still standing there staring at his big brother. 

“Get out of my room Alan so I can get dressed in private!” John asks him exasperatedly. 

John slowly gets dressed, he can’t believe he is up this early on a Saturday morning. 

“Grandma, can I go and build a snowman with Alan, he has asked everyone else and they all said no. I think I was his last resort!” John asks, knowing that leaving the house without permission is not allowed still. 

“Sure, but you don’t leave the garden” she tells him. 

“Also Gordon told Alan to pelt me with a snowball!” John tells her, missing out him swearing at Alan. 

“That’s a good sign, if he is thinking up pranks he’s feeling better!” She tells him. 

“But it hurt!” John tells her. 

“I will have a word with him, now go and entertain your brother, while I make breakfast”. 

*

“Gordo, What is this I hear you told Allie to throw snowballs at John?” Grandma asks him. 

“He couldn’t get anyone to play with him, and I know there is no way I’m going to be allowed to play out there when it’s so cold, so I thought this was the best way to get his attention!” Gordon replies innocently. 

“You are right, you aren’t. But that does not mean you can encourage your younger brother to do something silly and dangerous” she lectures. 

“Okay I won’t do it again” he tells her, fingers crossed under the duvet where she can’t see them. 

“See that you don’t kiddo. I’m going to head into the kitchen, what do you want for breakfast?”

“Toast please, with a side of baked beans covered in cheese that have then been grilled until the cheese is all crispy and golden, two fried eggs, three sausages and five rashers of bacon” Gordon tells her seriously. 

“Hungry much?” She asks laughing 

“Yeah starved!” He replies. 

She cooks it for him knowing his human hoover brothers will finish off anything he can’t. 

To his credit Gordon eats almost everything on the plate only leaving half a sausage and some cheesy beans which Alan polishes up, before dragging John back outside to finish his snowman. Scott joins him while Gordon and grandma take refuge in the living room with a roaring fire blazing in the fire place and watch the latest episode of his current favourite tv show; into the unknown with Buddy and Ellie! 

*

Virgil uses this as an opportunity to sneak upstairs into the attic to work on his secret project 

Virgil switches on the single bare light bulb. The only thing left in the attic is an old locked chest that only Virgil has the key for. Unlocking it he removes the model he has been working on since Gordon got home from the hospital. 

It is almost done, it will never be as good as the one John and their dad made but he is determined to make it up to him. 

*

It is another four weeks before the doctors finally announce Gordon fit enough to travel. Most of their possessions have been shipped to the island 

“Scott, can you help me bring the big old wooden chest down from the attic?” Virgil asks. 

“But That thing is ancient and about to fall apart, surely it would make more sense to leave it here” Scott tells him. 

“I need it down Scotty but it’s to heavy to carry on my own” he insists. 

“Fine, lets go” Scott agrees, following him up the stairs. 

They work together to bring it down from the attic, and hoist it up onto the back of the pickup truck outside, even though Scott has no idea at all why he is doing this. 

“Alan, Gordon get in the truck it’s time to go!” Grandma shouts at them, they both come running Gordon leaping up into the drivers seat expecting to be allowed to drive. 

“Move Gordo!” Scott tells him gently shoving him over and into the passengers side. 

*

“Wow! The yacht is even cooler than the Bentley!” Gordon says in awe as they pull up to the pier. 

Lord Hugh is there waiting for them. 

“Gordo!” He greets him enthusiastically, “How is my favourite Tracy brother?” 

“Great!” Gordon replies jumping down from the cab and running into Lord Hughs open arms “I feel fantastic and it is so good to be out of the house finally! And the doctor said I can start swimming again real soon so I can get back to training for the olympics, I am going to win a gold medal!” He gushes, not stopping to take a breath. 

“Come on, lets get you to your new home” Lord Hugh tells him. 

Alan follows them onto the yacht carrying Ratty McRatface in the small travel cage they got for him to keep him safe. 

Scott and Virgil get on board next, dragging the crate, Virgil still not dropping a single hint as to what in it. 

They all stand on the top deck of the yacht as it starts to move away from their old life. 

“BYE AMERICA!” Alan shouts waving.


	13. First impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re finally on the island!

“Where is the island Grandma?” Scott asks. 

“in the South Pacific” grandma replies 

They have been travelling for nearly two hours now, and there is nothing but calm blue ocean for miles in every direction. 

Gordon is fascinated, spending most of the journey below sea level where the observatory is. He has seen creatures he could only dream of seeing before and patiently explains the characteristics of each and everyone of them to anyone who will listen. 

“Look Alan, it’s a great white shark. It feasts on small annoying eight year old boys!” Gordon tells him seriously. 

“Oh look here it comes, run Alan!” He tells him. 

Laughing as his younger brother flees the room in terror. He starts to count, and only makes it to nine before Grandma is in the room. And she is not impressed. 

“Gordon! That was cruel. I know I have been cutting you a lot of slack recently because you have been ill but you are not going to get away with scaring your brother. Get up on the top deck and apologise. Now.” She orders him, standing glaring at him with her arms crossed. 

“Oh okay” He replies. “But it really was a great white shark, and it would eat him if it got the chance! I was only trying to help!” 

“Now Gordon!” 

Sighing, and mumbling under his breath, Gordon heads back upstairs. Alan is sitting on one of the deck chairs telling Virgil about the shark. 

“It was huge and it had the biggest shiniest teeth you will ever see. And it stared straight at me and it would have gotten me too if I didn’t run away!” 

“What kind of shark was it really Gords?” Scott asks. 

“Basking!” He replies smirking. “The harmless kind! They eat plankton so the only thing in real danger would have been Virgil’s old friends brains!”

Virgil and John both burst out laughing. 

“He’s not wrong Virg!” John tells him 

“No he isn’t, I can’t believe I ever wanted to be friends with those arrogant jerks”. Virgil replies in disgust. 

*

“Boys we will be at the island in about 15 minutes, if you look towards the horizon you will see it in the distance soon”. Lord Hugh tells them. 

They all get up and move to the front of the yacht so they can get their first glimpse of their new home. 

Suddenly a rock appears rising out of the sea majestically pointing towards the sky. 

“Is that it?!” Alan asks excitedly. 

“No that’s the active volcano that Is due to explode in five minutes time and we are in the firing line!” Gordon tells him. 

“GORDON” grandma, Scott, Virgil, and John all shout at him. 

“Sorry” He tells Alan, not sounding even slightly sorry. 

“Listen young man” grandma is about to start lecturing when she is suddenly interrupted by Alan squealing

“LOOK IT IS THE ISLAND WE ARE HERE!” 

Lord Hugh docks the yacht and they all climb off and into the waiting golf carts. 

The sight is better than anything they imagined. They walk past the pool, Scott grabbing Gordon to stop him diving in for a swim, and through the double glass doors into a large, round living room. There is a circle in the centre which sinks down into a comfortable looking seating area. 

Along one wall there’s seven portraits one of Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon, Alan, Lady Penelope and the one of the end is a young girl they don’t recognise. 

“Who is that?” Scott asks. The girl has long dark hair pulled back from her face sharply tied in a pony tail and a fierce face. 

“Me, Tanusha Kyrano, you got a problem with me being here?” 

“Erm no but why are you here?”

“My father works for your family and we have been living here for while overseeing the unloading of your stuff” 

“Kyrano?” Scott remembers his dad mentioning someone he was looking to set up a business with someone called Kyrano. Was this it?

“Yes. Again you got a problem with that?” She adds aggressively. 

Jeez, this girl is worse than Virgil at his most rebellious stage! Scott thinks. 

“No, I don’t have a problem with that! But seeing as you have been here for awhile and we have just arrived. How about a tour?” Scott asks, thinking that maybe he can distract her from picking on him! 

“Sure. This is the living room. Down there is the kitchen and outside is the pool. Come with me and I will show you your bed rooms.” 

Each room has a closet and a shower room attached. They start with Alan’s, who is still carrying Ratty McRatface in the travel cage. 

“You can put the rat in here” she tells him, pointing out the large built in cage perfectly designed as a habitat for Alan’s precious friend. “My father told me you were bringing vermin, I thought he meant you children I didn’t realise he meant actual vermin!” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Scott asks offended. He has only just met this girl and he does not like her one bit. She is Rude and confrontational. 

“You own your own island, you’re just a bunch of spoilt rich jerks” she tells them. 

“I don’t like you Tanusha Kyrano!” Alan tells her, sticking his tongue out, his parents always tried to instil manners in him but this girl is making it hard for him to be polite. 

“Fine, the other bedrooms are exactly the same as this one. Find your own way round and don’t bother me and we will get on fine. I am going back to my own room to read a book”.

And with that she is gone. 

“Wow, what’s her problem?” Gordon asks genuinely confused, he didn’t even have time for one prank and he had some good ones planned too! 

“No idea?” John tells him, “let’s go and check out the rest of the house. Alan leave the rat” 

They spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the island inside and out. 

Sitting down to dinner they are joined by another two new faces they don’t recognise as well and Lord Hugh and Tanusha. 

They are introduced to Kyrano first, who is a lot more polite and likeable than his daughter! 

The younger looking guy with the blue rimmed glasses is simply introduced as Brains. 

“P-p-pleased to m-meet you” He stammers, he looks anxious they all note, probably that Tanushas fault Scott thinks but he seems nice enough. 

“Brains here is helping with the designs for some special prototype ships” Grandma tells them, “And once we have eaten we will be taking a tour of his laboratory”. 

*

The laboratory is accessed via a secret exit in the living room, which all five boys find very impressive. 

There are three ships down there. 

A grey one, sleek and fast looking. With blue markings, a red nose cone and a number one in white at the bottom. 

A giant Green hulk of a plane that one the outside looks less impressive standing next ship number three. 

“Wow a rocket!” Alan’s voice barely above a whisper and he drinks in the 280 feet high space ship. 

“I prefer the green one” Virgil adds, “she looks more dependable and sturdy”. 

“Nah the smaller one is clearly the fastest, there for the best!” Scott adds. 

“Want to see the others?” Grandma asks them. 

“There’s more?” The boys reply. 

“Sure is, Come this way”. 

She leads them over to an underwater cavern where a small compact submarine has been installed. Gordon knows that this is the best one of all. With this he would be able to spend days and days at the bottom of the ocean exploring. 

“And finally...” grandma adds dramatically pulling down a screen and loading up the last ship. 

John gasps. That’s his model space ship. The one Virgil wrecked. 

“But how?” John asks “how is any of this even possible?” 

“This was your fathers dream, to build a business saving people. Between the four of them, your father, brains, Lord Hugh and Kyrano they have put together this programme where they want to save the world”. 

“I want to help” John tells her assuredly. 

“Me too” Virgil adds. 

“Me three” Gordon chimes in! 

Alan and Scott both nod, they want to do this too. As a family. 

“You’re all too young to go out on rescues yet though boys, so if you want to be a part of this you spend the next few years studying hard because there is an awful lot all of you will need to know.” 

They all agree. Anything it takes. This is going to be their lives from now on. 

“Grandma, can you unground John and Virgil now?” Gordon asks. “I think they have been punished enough, I am almost fully recovered, and if we are going to do this as a family I need them by my side”. 

Grandma wraps her arms around all five boys as best she can and just nods. “Yes, I think it is time we all moved on”. 

*

John has no idea why the ugly falling apart chest is in his room, or why is brothers are all sitting on the bed looking at him with great anticipation. 

“Open it already!” Scott tells him desperately “the curiosity has been killing me for weeks!” 

Virgil grins as he chucks him the key. 

Opening up John gasps in shock. 

“How?” He asks. 

“A lot of hard work sweat and tears!” Virgil replies, “but it was worth it. John I am so sorry I ruined the original” 

“It is okay Virg, and she is perfect. Absolutely perfect”. 

To stop himself from blubbering in front of his brothers he asks Virgil if he wants to help him set it up, and between them they get it up on to the one shelf not covered in books. 

“Good night John” they all say to him as they exit the room. 

Scott follows Gordon into his room. “Time for bed squid, it’s been a really long day, and you really do not want to relapse now”. 

To his surprise Gordon doesn’t put up a fight; but he actually agrees. 

“I know Scott, and if we are going to do this crazy scheme of dads we all have to be fighting fit. Tomorrow I am checking out the pool!” He adds with a grin. 

Scott stays with him while he gets ready for bed. 

“I will see you tomorrow Gords, but do not wake me up at six o’clock for a lift to the pool, even you are not that lazy!” 

Gordon laughs. That had not even occurred to him. “Scott I have never been lazy, I am simply energy efficient!” 

“Good night Gordo” Scott replies. 

“Night Scott”. 

“You put him to bed? I thought he was like ten years old? Is he that immature that he needs big brother Scotty-wotty to tuck him in at night?” Tanusha asks him having watched the scene unfold 

“Oh it’s you” Scott tells her with poorly disguised disgust. “You do know he nearly died two months ago?” 

“No I didn’t. I had heard there was an incident which delayed your move but I didn’t realise it was that serious” she replies. 

“He spent three weeks in hospital including ten days in intensive care. So forgive me please Tanusha if I don’t have a lot of patience for someone with a pole up their ass and a chip on their shoulder. If you don’t mind I am going to bed!” He tells her. 

“Scott wait!” She calls. “I am sorry, i didn’t know”. 

“That doesn’t make picking on someone okay Tanusha” he tells her. 

“Please, call me Kayo, everyone calls me Kayo. Apart from my father!”

“Okay, kayo why don’t we agree to start again tomorrow after we have both slept?” Scott asks as a peace offering. 

“I’m not sure. Will your brothers accept my apology?” She asks. 

“Yeah, my brothers are pretty understanding and they’re also really loving people and you could do a lot worse for friends!”

From that moment on Kayo became Scott’s friend, and once she got to know the others they became her brothers too.


	14. Becoming International Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AND..... DONE!

Scott is fast asleep in his new bedroom, which has been tastefully decorated in his favourite shade of light blue and even though he has been on the island for less than twenty four hours everything is packed away and organised already. 

It is six o’clock and the sun is just starting to rise, Gordon is sneaking into his bedroom, as subtly as he knows how. Creeping his way across the room until he is standing right beside him. Then he lets off the air horn he found in the laboratory the night before, Scott freaks at the noise leaping off the bed staring around until he finds the source of the commotion. 

Gordon is standing there already in his swimming trunks with a towel flung over his shoulder. 

“Hey Scotty, can I have a lift to the pool now?” He asks him smirking. 

“GET. OUT!” Scott shouts at him pointing to the door. 

“Scott? Gordon? What is going on in here?” 

“Great, now look what you have done Gordon, you woke the whole house up!” Scott tells him sarcastically. “It is nothing Grandma, just Gordon thinking he is funny. Why did you wake me up when I told you not too?” Scott asks. 

“Because you told me not too! You know I can’t resist a challenge” Gordon replies smirking. 

Scott does know, and he should never have given him an open invitation to annoy him! 

*

Gordon is out in the pool all morning. Starting slowly and trying to build his strength and speed back up. His brothers join him at various intervals some staying longer than others. 

“He is good” Kayo tells Scott coming out to join him watching the fish strut his stuff for the first time in months. 

“He is, but whatever you do never let him hear you say so! He has a big ego” Scott laughs. 

“How serious was the illness?” Kayo asks 

“Very, put it this way, if he hadn’t been so sick I would have pounded him this morning over the air horn trick. We honestly nearly lost him more than once” Scott tells her. 

“I’m sorry Scott. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about you guys. You seem nice” 

“We are, and if you come with me and we can get fish-face out the pool for a bit I will introduce you to everyone properly!”

“Oi Gordo time to quit for the day, you know what the doctor said about overdoing it” scott calls out warningly. 

Gordon listens to Scott for once and jumps up out the pool. 

They all gather in the living room and properly introduce themselves. 

Gordon going first: 

“Hi I’m Gordon, I am ten years old, and I enjoy irritating my brothers, marine biology and celery crunch bars. I’m going to win a gold medal at the olympics one day. So get my autograph now because when I’m famous I will charge you!” 

Kayo actually laughs with him, and not at him which really surprises herself. 

“I am Alan, and this is Ratty McRatface, he’s my best friend. He hates John.”

“The feelings mutual!” John assures him interrupting. 

“Also,” Alan carries on as if John hadn’t spoken, “I’m going to own the rocket down stairs soon. So all of you keep your Hands off!” He continues. 

“Do I have to do this?” John asks. 

“YES!” They all reply throwing cushions at him. 

“Okay fine, I am John. I have an IQ of 196, I like being left alone and I hate people, crowds and rats!” 

“And what are your hopes for the future?” Kayo asks 

“To work on a space station, alone!” John replies 

“Okay! Moving on” Scott laughs. “I am Scott, the eldest, and I may not be as smart as John but I study every day. My dad always used to tell me the day is wasted unless you learn something from it, and I agree with him.” 

They all turn too look at Virgil. 

“I’m Virgil” he starts “And I am the talented artistic one, unlike this lot who are tone deaf I can play the piano. My mom always used to say the piano played me, not the other way round”. 

He goes quiet with that final sentence. 

And they all sit in silence thinking for a while. They’re all a lot deeper than Kayo gave them credit for, and they’re so close, she suddenly finds herself wanting to be a part of this family. Why wouldn’t she, when her own is so disappointing? 

“Okay” She tells them, “I am Kayo, no one apart from my father calls me Tanusha, unless they’re angry with me, which surprisingly happens a lot! And I just wanted to start by saying that I am sorry that I judged you all so harshly. You seem like really nice guys and I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” 

“I can’t see why someone would get mad at you, you’re positively delightful!” Gordon tells her, his voice dripping with good natured sarcasm. 

“He just insulted you! Welcome to the family Kayo!” Virgil tells her bursting into laughter. 

“Be grateful” Scott adds, “he only insults people he really cares about!” 

Kayo laughs with them, knowing that her life will never be the same again and vowing to cherish every moment spent with these boys. Just as long as they never find out her secret. 

They can never know that her uncle was responsible for their dads death. 

“I can’t believe how warm it is here” Alan says. 

“Yeah that’s the best thing about living on a tropical island. The weather!” Kayo tells him. 

“And the isolation” John adds. 

“Come on boys let’s go and check out the beach!” Kayo tells them. 

Only they’re stopped in their tracks by grandma who insists they put in at least two hours of studying first. 

“But it’s the weekend!” Alan protests. 

“Actually it’s Wednesday!” She tells him. 

“No it isn’t” Alan insists. Missing the warning looks his brothers are trying to signal him behind her back. 

“Okay Young man, that’s three hours for you! Don’t argue with me”. 

Alan groans and they all follow her into the kitchen where the work top is set up for them to study at. 

“She wouldn’t make Gordon do three hours” Alan is still grumbling at the end of his extra hour. His brothers have all disappeared and left him too it. 

“Have you learned your lesson about arguing yet Allie?” Grandma asks him severely when she finally comes back to check his work 

“Yes grandma” he mumbles contritely. 

“Good make sure it doesn’t happen again! Now go and join your brothers and Kayo, they’re about to watch a movie. 

Alan runs out the door before she can change her mind. 

He finds three of his brothers arguing about what movie to watch. Scott is standing in front of the tv waving the remote above his head just out of Virgil and Gordon’s reach, laughing at their pathetic attempts to grab it. 

“Where is John?” Alan asks. 

“Him And Kayo said they had something else to do” Scott shrugs. 

“More like they couldn’t stand the way you smell Scotty” Virgil tells him. Scott stops waving the remote and glares at Virgil. 

Gordon sensing his distraction climbs up on the the back off the sofa and lunges for the remote, forcing Scott to lose his balance and control as Gordon grabs it. 

“Give that back fish boy!” Scott tells him 

“Nope! Mine now, and we are watching stingray”

“Oh, okay!” They all agree before collapsing on the sofa as Gordon brings the movie up. 

“You know here we can’t just get a takeaway whenever we don’t want grandma to cook” Virgil suddenly realises, as his stomach starts to Growl. 

That had never occurred to any of them! 

And all they do is laugh, finally they can relax and enjoy living again, getting away from everything back home has allowed them to move on from losing their parents. And they know that they will be brothers and more importantly each other’s best friends for the rest of their lives. 

*  
EPILOGUE 

Together they start training to be the kind of people their parents would be proud off. Grandma agrees to allow them to be homeschooled on the island and they get their pilots licenses the minute they turn 16. Scott being the only one eligible straight away. 

They celebrate all their major milestones on the island, Virgil being eligible to pass the ninth grade, as it turns out that with the correct teacher and motivation he is a lot smarter than he ever gave himself the credit for. And graduating from high school with John. And getting offered a place at the best universities in the world to study engineering. Only he turns them all down to stay on the island to study remotely so he can be there for his brothers while they find their feet in their budding rescue business.

They are all there for Gordon when he gets to the Olympics at 13, and becoming the youngest double champion in the history of the games. 

Three years of training every day, pays off and he qualifies for both the butterfly, and the freestyle. And wins gold at both. With his entire family there to cheer him on, including Lord Hugh, Penelope and her long suffering butler Parker! 

Ratty McRatface never did win John over but they learn to respect each other! And he passes away, from old age, aged three in Alan’s arms shortly after Alan’s eleventh birthday. Alan is devastated, but he knows he gave him the best life possible. 

Kayo never really gets over her suspicions of anyone breathing and that makes her an idea candidate for their head of security! And they do find out about her uncle. And to her great surprise they are okay with everything, after all you can’t choose your family! 

They get through the trauma of almost losing Gordon a second time as his beloved thunderbird 4 is crushed under the debris from the chaos crews destruction, leaving him severely injured, and out of action for several months. 

But it is all worth It as it sparks a shocking chain of events that leads them to the far most reaches of the galaxy to rescue the father they thought they had lost so long ago. 

They are all in court to watch the hood and the chaos crew all receive life sentences for the attempted murder of Gordon. 

They are all At Gordon’s wedding to Lady Penelope, all standing together with him at the alter as they give away their beloved sibling. Much to the delight of Lord Hugh who highly approves of the match. And the disgust of Parker who does not! 

This was a family who were almost torn apart by cruel fate but put themselves back together with love, and they can do anything. As long as they have each other. And they vow that they will always have each other.


End file.
